Monday, May 30, 2016

Win Tickets to See Subhumans Live

Since it's a short work week, it's not too soon to start thinking about the weekend. After all it is only 4 short days away! And this weekend legendary punk rockers the Subhumans are coming to town!

The Subhumans got their start back in 1980. Reigning from the UK, their original run only lasted about 5 years, but their music made an impact for years after that. Luckily, they eventually reunited and began hitting stages again. If you haven't seen these guys live yet, don't miss out. Although they have a few decades under their belt, they still put on a hell of a show!

They will be hitting the stage in Detroit this Saturday, June 4th at The Majestic Cafe along with PEARSBreak Anchor and DJ Amado Movado. Tickets to see this amazing lineup are only $15 and can be purchased in advance here. The wonderful ladies at Black Iris Booking are bringing this great show to town and they are also letting us give away a pair of tickets to the show! If you would like to see Subhumans for free, please send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Subhumans in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner the morning of the show and will send them details on how to claim their prize.



~C

Detroit's Katoi Makes My Tongue Dance

A few weeks ago I ran into a friend at an event and he asked me if I had tried Katoi yet. I explained that I hadn't and he immediately encouraged me to leave the event to check it out with him, he even offered to pay. I assumed at the time that he was joking, but after I tried Katoi, I realized that he wasn't. This place is so good that you will dream about returning the second you finish your meal!

Katoi is Detroit's newest "Thai" restaurant. But, what they serve up isn't your traditional Thai fare. They create one of a kind Thai inspired dishes that I have never experienced anywhere else. Their menu features items like mussels, brisket, and grilled mushrooms, as well as a few more traditional items, like curry and noodle dishes. To my delight, each dish that we tried was better than the last.
We sat at the community table so that we could take in the full experience and also take a look at what everyone else was eating. We started the night out with some of their house made craft cocktails and a tofu appetizer with the most mouth watering sauce. I scooted the cilantro to the side and went to town on this one.

Next up we decided to try the hen. I can't say that I have ever ordered hen before, but it was added to the menu that day and it sounded good.So I had to give it a try. As it turns out hen is just a fancy name for chicken and I was given a large bowl of what I can only explain as the best "bbq" style chicken I have ever eaten. It was spicy with a tangy kick. My dining mate order one of the curry dishes and she loved it, especially the fresh bread that was served with the dish,
Finally, we finished out our meal with the the twice cooked sweet potatoes. We choose the sweet potatoes because every other person sitting at the community table told us that we had to. I didn't think that anything would be better than the chicken, but the sweet potatoes were the perfect way to take the poultry off my mind. They were crunchy, sweet and covered in a special sauce that made my tongue dance.

Needless to say, this was the most enjoyable meal I have had in a long time. I loved the environment, was impressed by the service, and was more than pleased by the food and the drinks. I have been dreaming about going back since the second I left. I have no doubt that no matter what you get, it will be good.  

Katoi doesn't take reservations and they have limited hours. They also have a radio show that broadcasts from the space once a week. Follow them on Facebook to keep up with the details and specials! 


~S

Saturday, May 28, 2016

An Interview with Comedian Kyle Dunnigan

You may not have heard the name Kyle Dunnigan before, but I'm pretty sire you know who he is. Most people know Kyle by the name Craig from Reno 911, but he is also the man behind the Donald Trump, Caitlyn Jenner, and Perez Hilton voices on the Howard Stern show and he writes for Inside Amy Schumer. He also does stand up and has appeared on everyone's shows from Conan to Jimmy Kimmel.

I fell in love with Craig when he came into Howard Stern to talk about his life and do some impressions during the news. Howard Stern interviews can make or break a celebrity for me. If you're good on his show, I fall in love with you even if I wasn't previously a fan. And if you are bad on his show, I lose my boner really fast, even if I was previously in love with you. Kyle did more than keep up when he was in the studio with Stern. He had me laughing so hard I was crying. His Caitlyn Jenner and Donald Trump impressions will blow you away! You can listen to a clip of Kyle on the Stern show here.

You can also see him live at The Crofoot on Tuesday, May 31st. I'm excited to see more comedians coming through Detroit lately! We need to show them some love when they come to town so that they keep coming back!

I had a chance to ask Kyle a few questions about himself. Check out what he had to say and check out his set on the 31st if you want to have a good laugh! 


HID­- What is your favorite impression to do these days? Trump, Perez, Caitlyn?
KD- "I think I like doing Caitlyn the most. Maybe because it’s newer. I get bored fast."

HID­- What was like it like when you sat in studio for the news on the Howard Stern show? Does Howard talk to the guests off the air? What is the studio like? GIVE US DETAILS!
KD- "Yes, he’s very nice off the air. It was very surreal. I kept thinking “what am I doing here?” “How did this happen.” It felt like a weird dream more than anything else. The studio is pretty narrow. Robin sits across from everyone behind glass. Not sure why she’s behind glass."

HID­- What is your most "I can't believe I’m doing this" moment in show business so far?
KD- "Ha, refer to last question. Also I got to go on stage with Billy Joel last year. That was a highlight and very full circle, because I was kicked off his stage when I was 18."

HID­- What do you like about doing stand up as opposed to movies, shorts or skits?
KD- "Stand up is great because you have total control. Not necessarily of the performance, because the audience is so important, but of the material. There’s a lot of notes when you do movies and TV. They all have good aspects though."

HID­- How do you handle hecklers?
KD- "I let them talk and really listen to them. They’re usually drunk and say something I can grab onto."

HID­- Who are your comedy idols?
KD- "Brian Reagan, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, Dana Carvey. There’s more, but you get the idea."

HID-­ What is the first piece of writing that you actually sold?
KD- "Hmmmm...um...I was a cast member on a Fox sketch show in 2002 and they bought two sketches I wrote."

HID­- What’s your favorite late night talk show to appear on and why?
KD- "I like Conan. To me he’s the funniest of them all. You can add him to my idols list."

HID-­ You're not from Detroit, so I always like to ask outsiders what their perception of Detroit is?KD- "Car manufacturing. And car manufacturing leaving Detroit."

HID-­ How do you write? Do you have to be alone, do things come to you during the day? Are you a morning person a night person? Is there a process to it?
KD- "I get a little obsessed when I decide to write something. I miss meals because I’m not paying attention to time. I was up until 4 a.m. last night. I might need therapy soon. I’ll keep you posted."

HID-­ What is the one piece of advice you would give someone who wants to be a comedian?
KD- "Remember it’s supposed to be fun. I forgot that a few times."

HID-­ Give us one good reason we need to come see your live show?
KD- "Free candy after the show."

HID-­ Is there anything else you would like to tell your Detroit audience?
KD- "Don’t sit home and watch tv. Come to my show. There will be a lot of single people there. Think of it as a mixer."


Tickets for the show are only $14 in advance and $16 at the door. The show starts at 8 p.m. with Wes Ward and Raymond Hollifield Don't miss it, we hear there is going to be free candy!

P.S. if you cant make it to the Crofoot show, you can catch him the next night June 1st in Grand Rapids


~S

Friday, May 27, 2016

There's Another Music Festival Happening this Weekend and Its FREE - Trip Metal Fest

It has been just under a month since El Club opened its doors in Southwest Detroit. Since then, they've hosted some awesome shows and the word on the street is that this is an awesome place to see a show. This weekend they are hosting another kick ass show that you definitely will want to check out, Trip Metal Fest!

Trip Metal Fest is a FREE festival that will feature experimental musicians. It's the first year for this fest and the organizers are already killing it with the lineup. Check it out along with set times below.

★ FRIDAY / MAY 27
EL CLUB - LIVE - 7:30PM
8:00 PM - Rubber O Cement
9:00 PM - Morton Subotonick
10:15 PM - MV Carbon
10:40 PM - Panicsville
11:15 PM - Cotton Museum/Apetech
12:00 AM - Tarpit/Jesse & The Eels
12:45 PM - Tragg

★ SATURDAY / MAY 28
EL CLUB - LIVE - 7:30 DOORS
8:00 PM - Caleb Johnston
8:35 PM - Pengo
9:10 PM - Lexie Mountain
9:45 PM - Drainolith
10:20 PM - Hieroglyphic/Marshall/Danny
11:35 PM - Joseph Hammer
12:10 AM - Pod Blotz
12:45 AM - VIKI/Magas
1:30 AM - Viands

★ SUNDAY / MAY 29 - 7:30PM
EL CLUB - LIVE
8:00 PM - Brain Transplant
8:35 PM - Sick Llama
9:10 PM - Creode
9:45 PM - Wooden Highway
10:20 PM - Shades
10:55 PM - DJ Dog Dick
11:30 PM - Nautical Almanac
12:05 AM - Andrew W.K. + Nate Young + Twig Harper
12:40 AM - Wolf Eyes


In addition to the live music at El Club, there's an after party at Menjos, film screenings, talks with artists (including Andrew W.K.), and there will be a "noise brunch" at Jam Handy on Sunday. For a full list of the weekend's activities, click here

Although Trip Metal Fest is free to attend, you can buy tickets. With the crazy lineup, tons of music lovers in town for Movement, and limited space at El Club, there's a good chance that this event will reach capacity/sell out. So if you want to guarantee that you will get in the door you can buy passes. They are $75 for the weekend and can be purchased here. They aren't required, but if there's someone you absolutely do not want to miss, buy the pass.

The festival starts at 5:30 p.m. on Friday with a talk at Trinosophes, then a screening at Third Man and finally doors to El Club open at 7:30. Do yourself a favor and taking advantage of this awesome free festival this weekend! For more info and to stay in the loop throughout the weekend, head over and RSVP to the Facebook event page here


~C

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Go Tiger Go, Shady Groves, Black Shampoo and The Lefties Play The Loving Touch this Weekend!

You've heard us talk about Go Tiger Go and Shady Groves quite a bit lately. We had a chance to finally chat with Go Tiger Go before their album release show a couple of weeks ago. And we talked with Shady Groves and premiered their new music video the week before that. Now we're going to talk about these two bands again because this weekend they are hitting the stage together!

In case you still don't know who these bands are, here's a little background. Shady Groves is the latest project from Adam Fitzgerald, Dylan Caron, Jeff Yateman, Jamie Dulin and Colton Caron. Their tunes cross the lines between many different genres, each song having a different feel. They just released a new album, Bitzer, that you can check out below.


The guys in Go Tiger Go have known each other for years! The band actually started back in 2009, but now they have finally solidified their lineup with Paul Corsi (Guitar, Vocals), Matt Puz (Bass, Vocals), Ryan Patten (Drums) and Steve Delaney (Guitar, Vocals). They have gritty sun-kissed indie rock sound that can be heard on their new album Eating Berries in the Dark. Give that a listen below.


If you like what you hear and you want to see both of these bands perform live, head to The Loving Touch this Saturday, May 28th. Also joining them on the stage are Black Shampoo and The Lefties. Cover is only $5 and 18+ are welcome. Because these bands REALLY want to see you at The LT this weekend, we are also giving away 4 PAIRS of tickets! If you would like the chance to see these great bands with a friend for free, please email your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with LT in the subject line. We will draw four lucky winners on Saturday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize. 

Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. on Saturday. For more info on this show click here


~C

Win a Pair of Passes to Bled Fest!

This weekend Bled Fest will once again take over the Hartland Performing Arts Center in Howell, but this year it's bigger and heavier than ever before. The team behind the fest has incorporated even more local bands than before, this time around having big names like Battlecross and The Black Dahlia Murder on the bill. The full lineup includes:

The Black Dahlia Murder
Citizen
Knuckle Puck
Kevin Devine
The World Is...
Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties
Superheaven
Abigail Williams
All Dogs
Tiny Moving Parts
Battlecross
Old Gray
Sorority Noise
The Copyrights
Somos
Prawn
Gates
Creepoid
Pentimento
The Saddest Landscape
Watermedown
Fallujah
Ray Rocket
Free Throw
Convictions
Casey Bolles
Homesafe
Disentomb
Citycop
Artifex Pereo
Forever Losing Sleep
Chase Huglin
Spirit of the Beehive
Act As One
Ellis
Parkway and Columbia
Hot Mulligan
A War Within
Jake Simmons and the Little Ghosts
Alaska
The Plurals
The Cardboard Swords
Stories Untold
Undesirable People
The Fever Haze
Small Parks
Our Vices
Heartsick
The Illustrator
Lemix J Buckley
June Earth
All Is Well
Grey Matter
Convenient Trash
Athena's Grace
Broke
Argus
Carved Out
Pines
Second Best
Adventurer
The Class Acts
The Beautiful Gorgeous
Welman
Amateur Eyes
Blind Merle and His Traveling Band
Of Athens
Copneconic
Tidal

The venue is actually a old high school, there will be 6 stages set up throughout it. This is good and bad news. Good news is that it's indoors, so you don't have to worry about that rain that's in the forecast. Bad news is that it is that the property is still owned by the school district, so no smoking, drinking, etc. There will be food on site from Marco’s Pizza, Vehicle City Tacos, Shimmy Shack (limited menu), Eagle Express, and Crushed Smoothies. Plus you are allowed to re-enter the venue. So you can always leave for a bite or a drink and come back. 

Bled Fest is happening this Saturday, May 28th. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and the first band is set to start around Noon. For set times, click here. All ages are welcome to attend and tickets are only $27. That's less than 50ȼ a band! Thanks to Fusion Shows we are also giving away one pair of tickets to the fest! If you would like to enter to win, please send your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Bled Fest in the subject line. To double your chances, tag us (@hipindetroit) in a photo on Instagram telling us how bad you want to go to Bled Fest! We will draw one lucky winner Friday afternoon and they will be attending Bled Fest on Saturday with a friend for free! 

The Hartland Performing Arts Center is located at 9525 Highland Rd. in Howell, MI. For more info on Bled Fest head to BledFest.com! 


~C

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Nike Detroit Opening this Thursday!

Nike is officially embracing Detroit! They are opening a huge new location inside the historic F.W. Woolworth Co. building in Detroit this Thursday, May 26th. To celebrate the store's opening they are inviting everyone in to see the new space.

They will be holding group workouts, basketball, and a youth run throughout the opening week. All activities will take place inside or around the store and events of the day will be hosted by Dennis van Oosanen, VP of North America Retail, and Michigan State University Coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Tom Izzo, who will be joined by MSU’s beloved Mascot Sparty.

The new store hopes to give back to Detroit by hiring most of its workforce from a five mile radius of the store and by carrying locally sourced goods and products wherever they can.
The grand opening will take place at 10 a.m. this Thursday and will be followed up by a group workout in the evening on Friday. They will have basketball for all ages and a community youth run on Saturday, visit the store for more details! 

The new Nike store is located at 1261 Woodward Ave. in Detroit.



~S

Win Tickets to See Bloc Party at The Majestic Theatre

London based Bloc Party have a new album out that is guaranteed to get you dancing! The album, entitled Hymns, came out this January on BMG Records. Since its release, the band has been playing on all of the late night shows, like Late Night with Seth Meyers and Later with Jools Holland, they played SXSW, and they've released a couple music videos. Check out their latest video for the song "Virtue" below.


Bloc Party is currently out on tour and they will be making a stop in Detroit later this week! They will be playing at The Majestic Theatre along with MS MR & Oscar on Friday, May 27. Tickets for the show are $26.50 in advance or $30 the day of the show. You can pick yours up online here.

Thanks to our friends at The Crofoot and The Majestic, we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show. Yes, that's right, The Crofoot and The Majestic have teamed up for this one because this lineup is just that awesome! We are giving away one pair of tickets for Friday's show. If you would like to win those tickets, just email us at hipindetroit@gmail.com. Put your name in the email and Bloc Party in the subject. We will draw one lucky winner Friday morning and they will get to see Bloc Party live with a friend for free! So get those entries in! You won't want to miss this one!


~C

Win Tickets to See JMSN Live in Detroit

Detroit born L.A. based artist and producer JMSN just released his latest album It Is. He is currently on tour and will be making his hometown visit on June 3rd. He also just released the music video for the single "Power". The video is visually stunning and the song is silky smooth, check it out!


If you like what you see and hear, you must head up to Populux on Friday, June 3rd to see him perform live and in person with a few of our favorite local acts, Britney Stoney, SYBLYNG and Gosh Pith!

This is going to be a epic night for Detroit music. Doors at Populux open at open at 9:30 p.m. on the 3rd.  Tickets to get into the show are $15, they can be purchased here. We also have a pair of tickets to give away to the show. If you would like to enter to win a pair of tickets to see this incredible lineup, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #JMSN. We will draw one lucky winner the day of the show and they will get in with a friend for FREE!


~S

Sunday, May 22, 2016

New Music from The Bruised Reed

Last March The Bruised Reed released the first in a series of two song digital albums. Appropriately, they named these releases Doubles and just a couple of weeks ago, they released Doubles Volume 3. You can check out this latest release below. To hear the two prior releases head over to The Bruised Reed's bandcamp here.


In support of these new songs, The Bruised Reed has a couple of shows lined up. The first of the two is coming up this Saturday, May 28th at Corktown Studios in Detroit. The show is called The Haunted Wood Revue. This is the third session of this recurring event that features musicians playing their songs in acoustic form. Also on the bill are Dave Morrison and Jimmy Geagan with Jaye Thomas as your host for the evening. Admission is free and there will be food and drinks available by donation. The show is set to start at 8:30 p.m. with doors opening 30 minutes prior.

If you can't make it out to see The Bruised Reed this weekend, you have another chance to catch them live on Thursday, June 16th at The Loving Touch. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more details on that show. Until then, make sure you check out all three volumes of Doubles!


~C

An Interview with Artist Sean Nader

Small's has been switching it up and having some different events lately. For instance, this week they are hosting an art show. Local artist Sean Nader will be showing off 50+ paintings as well as doing a performance piece where he will read some of his best tweets along with live music. This isn't the first time Small's has hosted an art show, but it is the first time they have done something of this size.

We reached out to chat with Sean about his art, the show, and the tweets he is going to read. Take a second to read our interview to learn a little more about the man behind the brush. Then head out to the show this Saturday, May 28th to see his work for yourselves.


HID-When did you start painting?
SN- "I've been drawing,painting and making art my whole life. I wanted to be some kind of artist since I was a little kid, but I've been taking it really serious for the last 12 years."

HID- How would you describe your style of painting?
SN- "I would describe my style of painting as post-post-post-post modern painting (that's a lot of posts!)."

HID- What makes a good painting? 
SN- "I'm the worst person to ask this question because I like almost every painting I see even if I don't like it at first.  If I look at it for a bit I'll find something I think is cool about it. I just think the idea of humans making paintings is so weird and crazy that I think almost all paintings are at least pretty funny and funny goes a long way with this guy."

HID- What is your favorite time of day to paint and why?
SN- "I'm an all day kinda guy, I like to get up at 6 a.m. brush my teeth and go. It's really the only thing I can do for 12-15 hours at a stretch and not get tired or sick of it. When I was a young pup in my 20's and 30's I would take drugs and stay up all night painting because I felt like a bad ass doing it knowing the rest of the world was asleep and I was in my studio making stuff. Now, I'm an old man and I'm asleep by 11 p.m. most nights."

HID- Why does the promo for the show say that your tweets will be featured? Explain!
SN- "OK, so I'm super super good at twitter and I really like the idea of a live element to art shows so I put together a live show where I tell weird stories, do some funny rap songs and as the centerpiece I read 120 of my best tweets. My friend Jake from the band Moonwalks is gonna be backing me up on guitar while I read them. I think twitter should not just be left on the internet, bring that shit to the people!!!"

HID-  How many pieces will you be showing at Small's?
SN- "When I booked the show I had about 40 new paintings and I've gotten a few more done since then so around 50ish.  All new stuff from the last 6 months!"

HID- Who are your favorite painters and why? 
SN- "I like Pollack because he really changed what people thought of as ugly and beautiful. Really interesting guy too, lots of demons. I like Keith Haring because his paintings were improvised but the quality of his lines was always right on. I'm friends with this dude named Justin Marshal, he's a local guy lives in ham town and he's the best painter in Detroit. His paintings make the world look like melting plastic but if you ate the melting plastic it would taste really good."

HID- Do you get nervous before a show?
SN- "Oh yeah! I'm nervous almost all the time anyway! I've always been a high strung person and showing works and performing in public makes me pretty keyed up because it's so important to me. So, yeah shows take me from a nervous level of 7 to a nervous level of 9."

HID- Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
SN- Yes, 4 things. 
1. The excellent band American Mustache will be playing the show as well
2. I'll be raffling off a couple of prize bags potentially worth thousands!
3. You don't need permission from anyone to make art and be a artist
4. The Grateful Dead are a punk band.


Doors for the show open at 9 p.m. this Saturday. It is only $3 to get in the door and 18 and over are welcome! 


~S

Win a Pair of Tickets to See Islands at The Loving Touch

Not many bands can say that they put out two albums in a year but that is exactly what Islands is doing. They recorded Should I Remain Here, At Sea? and followed it up with Tasteboth albums were released on May 13th by Manqué Music.

Now, they are currently on tour with Lushlife and both bands will be playing The Loving Touch this Friday, May 27th. If you're not familiar with the band you can get a feel for their sound by checking out their latest music video for the song "Hallways".


Tickets to see them play live this Friday are only $12, you can purchase them here. You can also win a pair of passes to attend the performance for FREE. All you need to do to enter to win is email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #islands. We will draw one lucky winner this Friday morning and they will get to attend the show that night for free with a friend.


~S 

Red Bull Radio Broadcasting Live From Detroit Through May 30th

Red Bull Radio was created in 2005. The station offers the biggest selection of exclusive mixes, documentaries, and live recordings from club nights and festivals around the world. The team will be traveling to Detroit to broadcast from Detroit for the 10 year anniversary of Movement. Their coverage will broadcast live from a custom-built studio at 1325 Broadway in Downtown Detroit. They will be conducting live interviews and broadcasting some of the biggest acts from The Red Bull Stage. They will be talking to a wide variety of guests, including George Clinton and Leon Ware and Danny Brown. They will also be broadcasting live sets from:

Four Tet
Caribou
RZA Feat. Stone Mecca
Dâm-Funk
Big Freedia
Kyle Hall
Tiga
The Black Madonna
Honey Soundsystem
Kenny Dope
DJ Funk
DJ Godfather
Will Sessions Feat. Amp Fiddler
Zelooperz
Get Real: Green Velvet & Claude Vonstroke
J.Phlip
Wheez-Ie
Justin Martin
Shady P
Jeff Risk
Pontchartrain


Red Bull is offering their listeners a unique look inside Detroit's biggest festival. The best part about Red Bull Radio is that it is FREE to listen, just click on this link and enjoy.


~C

Friday, May 20, 2016

Mortified Detroit Debuts This Weekend

Have you ever gone back and look at your childhood diary? How about those notes you wrote to your bff in junior high school? Chances are there are some pretty dramatic and embarrassing details in there and if someone would have shared them with the world back then, you probably would have died. Somehow, when you're an adult, sharing these most intimate and humiliating pieces from your younger years isn't devastating. Instead it's pretty hilarious and that's exactly the idea behind Mortified.

Mortified Live debuted back in the early 2000s. The show brings out comics and select people from cities around the world that present their most intimate and mortifying letters, home movies, song lyrics and more from their childhood. There are shows everywhere from LA to Amsterdam, and now Detroit will join the Mortified family.

This Saturday, May 21st Mortified Detroit will have their debut show. It will feature six presenters telling stories and reading pieces from their past. The show will take place at Rust Belt Market in Ferndale. The first show at 7:30 has already sold out, but tickets are still available for a second show that was added at 10 p.m. Tickets for Mortified Detroit are only $15 and can be purchased in advance here. Tickets might be available at the door, but we don't think you should risk it. Buy them in advance.

To get a feel for what you can expect at Mortified Detroit, head over and check out their podcast here. The Rust Belt Market is located at 22801 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale, right on the northwest corner of 9 Mile and Woodward. For more info on Mortified Detroit visit the Facebook event page here.


~C

Win Tickets to See The Kills at St. Andrew's Hall

London duo The Kills are heading to town this weekend to play at St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit. Alison and Jamie are getting ready to release a new album Ash & Ice on June 3rd on Domino Records. You can pre-order that album on vinyl or CD here. They recently released a music video for their song "Heart Of A Dog" off that album. Check it out below.


The Kills will be hitting the stage at St. Andrew's this Sunday, May 21 along with LA Witch. Tickets to Sunday's show are $29.50 and can be purchased in advance here. Thanks to our friends at Live Nation Detroit we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show. If you would like to see The Kills for FREE this weekend, just send your name over to hipindetroit@gmail.com with The Kills in the subject line. We will draw our lucky winner on Sunday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.

Doors are set to open at 7 p.m. for this show and all ages are welcome.


~C

Thursday, May 19, 2016

DCFC 2016 Home Opener at Keyworth Stadium

Photo from DCFC's Facebook Page

This Friday, May 20th is the home opener of the 2016 season for the Detroit City Football Club. This is the fifth season for the team, but the first for DCFC at their new home. In the past, the team has played all of their home games at Cass Tech in Detroit. Now, after help from fans and a lot of renovations, they are making the move to Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck.

The stadium is located at 3201 Roosevelt St., right by Veterans Park. It has a capacity of 6,000, which is about double that of Cass Tech. This boost is much needed as many fans were turned away at the gate during the 2015 season. There will still be a designated area for Le Rouge Faithful and food trucks at every game, but now there will be some added bonuses. One of the biggest changes, that we think many fans will be excited about, is now adult beverages will be available to purchase on site.
One of those adult beverages that we are extra excited about is Cider 'Til I Die, the official Hard Cider of DCFC brought to you by Blake's Hard Cider Co. We absolutely love everything that we have tried from Blake's so far, so we can't wait to give this new brew a try. You can taste it for yourself at every home game this season along with CITY Pale Ale from Axle Brewing Co. and favorites like Stroh's Beer,

So back to the game. Friday's home opener is against AFC Ann Arbor. The game is set to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. and the gates will open two hours before that. With the new stadium also comes a new starting point for the March to The Match. Don't you worry, fans still plan on joining together to make their way to the game! This year they will meet up at the Fowling Warehouse, just down the road at 3901 Christopher St. Once inside, we're sure there will be just as many chants and antics as there were at Cass Tech.

Tickets for Friday's game are only $10 and can be purchased in advance here. There are also group tickets available for parties of 15 or more, those cost $8 each. Even though the new facility is bigger, we still suggest that you purchase your tickets in advance. It sure would suck to be excited about the game all day long and then you can't get in at the gate! If you can't make it out to the game or it does happen to sell out, don't worry. You can still see the game! DCFC will once again be streaming all of their regular season home games live at DetCityFC.com/Streaming.

So get ready for another great season with the best soccer team around! For more info on the Detroit City Football Club, head over to DetCityFC.com and make sure you give them a "like" on Facebook too. For game day information and a guide to parking and shuttles, click here.



~C

A Quick Little Interview With Peach Kelli Pop Before They Hit Detroit this Sunday


Peach Kelli Pop is a fun band that plays fun music for fun people. They also tackle some pretty important issues, like body image, while making you want to get up and dance. The L.A. based five piece is currently on tour in support of their latest EP Halloween Mask. You can listen to the new stuff and purchase a 7" here.

You can also purchase a copy this Sunday at The UFO Factory where the ladies are playing alongside John Krautner and Deadbeat Beat. We had a chance to ask the ladies a few questions which they kindly answered despite being out on the road. Their answers are as fun and witty as their band! Check it out and head out to UFO this Sunday if you like what you hear!


HID- How did the five of you find each other?
PKP- "We met in a jazzercise class in LA. We happened to be wearing matching jazzercise outfits and ended up talking and agreeing to play music together!"

HID- Who snores on the bus?
PKP- "None of us snore but Gina, our bass player has night terrors sometimes. Yikes!"

HID- Your new song "Halloween Mask" talks about the pressures of being beautiful. How do you feel these pressures have affected you personally?
PKP- "It has made me experience negative feelings in terms of self worth and self confidence since I was middle school. It's made me realize that achieving these standards of beauty doesn't amount to what's actually important, like happiness and feelings of self-fulfillment."

HID- Do you still have copies of the Halloween Mask 7" for us to buy at the show?
PKP- "We have so many boxes of the 7" in our van - we should still have lots when we are in town!"

HID- You are 2/3 through this tour, what has been the highlight and one has been the low point so far?
PKP- "The highlight has been regional dining - we love tasting the cuisine in all the different cities we visit. And of course playing for and meeting all our fans! The only low point was when we accidentally left Mindee, our drummer, at gas station, and didn't notice for 3 hours. Sorry Mindee."

HID- What's your go to fast food place on the road?
PKP- "We absolutely adore Cracker Barrel, and WaWa - a gas station with a restaurant in the Northeast. We don't eat anything like McDonald's or Jack in the Box, otherwise we'd never survive a month long tour."

HID- What’s the weirdest thing you packed for tour?
PKP- "Probably our Ouija board and EMF detector. We like to know whether the places we sleep are haunted or not. I also packed 8 kinds of hot sauce."

HID- What’s the first thing you are going to do when you get back home?
PKP- "Eat Mexican food and swim in the ocean!"

HID- Do you have a tentative date for a full album release?
PKP- "Not at the moment. We are currently focusing on booking tours in Hawaii, Australia and Japan."

HID- How about a music video?
PKP- "We have 2 music videos that we shot before tour. One for 'Halloween Mask' and the other for 'Stuck in a Dream', both on the new 7"."

HID- Is there anything you would like to say to you Detroit fans?
PKP- "We would say thank you for always showing us a great time. We always look forward to playing Detroit and love our friends there!"


Doors for the show will open at 9 p.m. this Sunday. It's only $10 to get in and advance tickets can be purchased here.


~S 

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Take a Saturday Drive to The Vintage Market in Elizabeth Park

The snow has finally melted and the sun is starting to shine. Lots of people are doing their spring cleaning and the temperatures are starting to rise. Warmer weather means lots of marketing and summer sales, the first of which is taking place in Trenton, Michigan this Saturday.

The Vintage Market at Elizabeth Park is a 200 vendor showcase that will feature antique accessories and furniture as well other other unique items. This is a flea market style open house that is FREE for all to attend. It's a great way to find something unique for inside or outside your home. Plus it's fun to get out, walk and around, and explore!
The Market will be open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. this Saturday, May 21st. For more details on the event you can visit The Vintage Market's website here. Elizabeth Park is located at 4461 Elizabeth Drive in Trenton, MI.  


~S

24 Hour Giveaway: Win Tickets to See Seventeen Sisters at Small's



This Thursday, May 18th Small's is bringing The Seventeen Sisters, Payback the Thief, If All Else Fails and Nothing Gold to the stage. This will be the first time the Chicago based band Seventeen Sisters will be performing in Detroit. The all female electronic rock group is made up of five real life sisters that have been through a lot, including losing everything in Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. They are survivors whose hopeful spirit comes through in their music. You can check some of their music here.

Tickets to get into this Thursday's show are only $5 at the door. You can also win a pair of tickets to the show by emailing your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #SS. We will draw one lucky winner the morning of the show and the winner will get to catch the set for FREE!


~S

Get in to The Five Piece Problem's First Show for FREE

There's a new band on the scene and they're getting ready to hit the stage for the first time this weekend. The Five Piece Problem is the latest project from Jamison Mossheart, Benjamin Kay, Phil Giannotta, Rob Zinck and Mikey Biando. You may recognize these guys from bands like The Erers, The Means, Awesome Jarvis and the Whales, and F. Patrick James. They don't have any music online yet and they don't even have a Facebook page. All they have is a band name and some kick ass tunes that they've been working on in their living room practice space.

So, if you want to hear what The Five Piece Problem sounds like, don't miss their debut show this Friday, May 20th. They will be hitting the stage at the New Dodge Lounge in Hamtramck along with Bronze Mambas and The Counter Elites. Admission to the show is only $5 and 18+ are welcome. We are also getting some people into this show for free! If you would like to attend Friday's show with a friend for free, please send your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with FPP in the subject line. We will draw two lucky winners on Friday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.

Doors for this show are set to open at 8 p.m. The New Dodge is located at 8850 Joseph Campau in Hamtramck. For more info on this show click here.


~C

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

24 Hour Ticket Giveaway: Win Tickets to See Meghann Wright at the Majestic Cafe

Brooklyn based singer Meghann Wright will be making her way to Detroit this week to play the Majestic Cafe. Before moving to New York, Meghann grew up in Hawaii. Her sound has been compared to everyone from Sheryl Crow to Amy Winehouse. Check out her new music video for her song "River" off the album Nothing Left to Lose


Meghann will be performing at the Majestic Cafe this Wednesday, May 18th along with The Green Gallows. Tickets for the show are only $8 and can be purchased in advance here. Thanks to our friends at Black Iris Booking, we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show! If you want to hear Meghann Wright sing live and in person, just send your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Meghann in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner Wednesday morning and they will attend the show with a friend for free. 


~C 

Pop's For Italian Offers a Little Italian Flare to Ferndale

Photo Taken from Pop's for Italian's Facebook
Pop's for Italian is the latest addition to the ever growing Ferndale food scene. Despite having a ton of places to eat, Ferndale did not have much as far as Italian inspired cuisine, so this new restaurant was a welcomed edition. I have been hearing good things from friends and family, so I gave Pop's a few weeks to work out the kinks and checked out the ambiance, drinks, food and service for myself.

The restaurant is located right in the heart of downtown Ferndale on 9 Mile Road. It is connected to the new Daily Dinette, but has a separate door for entrance from the back of the plaza. The space itself is wide open with a circular bar in the middle, a large re-creation of the Statue of Liberty, and garage doors that open up and offer sidewalk seating on warmer days. It is very industrial and has high open ceilings, a look that is becoming more and more popular. 

I started my night out with a glass of wine. I asked about the selection and was given a menu to look at. There were only a few choices on the menu and the waiter didn't want to or wasn't able to tell me about them, so I ordered a white and was given the smallest wine poor I have ever gotten. It was good, but nothing special. For the second glass, I went with a Merlot and was given a bigger glass and a bigger pour. I am not sure why the first one was so small, but it was about half the size of the second. Both glasses were good, but again nothing special.

We started out the evening with two appetizers, the breaded mozzarella and the pesto basil bread Both were very tasty, very oily and very good. I highly recommend trying them.
Pesto Basil Bread
Breaded Mozzarella
For my meal, I ordered the Vegetable Soup and the Spicy Shrimp Caesar. My dining mates ordered the Gnocchi and the Pasta Carbonara. I LOVED the soup, it reminded me of the stuff my Italian grandma made me as a child. It came out before the appetizers, which was a little weird, but I loved it none the less. The salad on the other hand was okay. The shrimp wasn't very spicy, but it was good.  The weirdest part was that they gave me a lot of shrimp but slacked on the lettuce, I would have liked a little more green added to it. The croutons on the on the other hand were awesome. They were made out the same bread as the appetizers and they really made the salad!
I also tried both of my friends meals. I loved the Gnocchi and was unimpressed by the Carbonara. The Gnocchi was large, creamy and tasty. The Carbonara was just too salty for me to enjoy. Neither of them were as good as grandma's, but they were better than anything you would get at a chain restaurant like Olive Garden.
Pasta Carbonara
Gnocchi

The service was decent. Our waiter was overly attentive at first, but his interest trickled off as the night went on.  He never asked my dining mates if they wanted refills and we had to ask for our bill, despite being done with food and drinks for over a half hour.  I know that they were busy, but I think the service could have improved.

Overall I enjoyed the meal and my first experience at Pop's and I would recommend giving it a try. It's not my grandma's home cooking, but it's not shitty chain food either. It's a nice in-between. I recommend trying the soup!


~S

Win a Pair of Tickets to See Chelsea Wolfe at Detroit's New El Club

Two weeks ago we told you about El Club, a new venue that just opened near Mexican Town in Detroit. The space is gorgeous and the lineups that they are booking are insane! We can't tell you how happy we are to have El Club and Party Store Productions working together to bring great acts through Detroit.

This week they have teamed up to bring one of my favorites to town, Chelsea Wolfe. In fact, I was so excited about this one that when it was announced I danced around the house and texted a few of my friends to make sure that we were all going. I can assure you that this show will be amazing and will sell out. So listen closely and either buy your tickets now, or enter to win knowing that you are risking a sell out if you don't buy in advance!

Chelsea recently released a new song and a new music video for her latest track called "Hypnos". Check it out to get a feel for her music and her style.


She will be on a solo tour through June and will be playing El Club this Thursday alongside A Dead Forest Index. Tickets for the show are $17-$20 in advance, you can purchase them here. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets courtesy of our friends at Party Store Productions. If you would like to try to win a set of tickets, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Chelsea Wolfe in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner this Thursday morning and they will be on the guest list plus one for this most likely sold out show!

Doors for the show open at 9 p.m. this Thursday. El Cub is located at 4114 West Vernor Highway in Detroit.

Hope to see a lot of you there! I wouldn't miss this one if I were you!


~S

Monday, May 16, 2016

Kick the Week off at Trumbullplex

It may only be Monday, but that doesn't mean you have to spend the night on the couch. Start the week off right and head down to the Trumbullplex tonight! This Monday night they are hosting an awesome lineup with a couple of locals and a touring band. 

Let's start off with the touring band. Lizard Police is coming through Detroit from Tulsa, OK. I've never heard of these guys before seeing them on this bill, but now that I've had a listen, I'm rethinking my Monday night. "Think if Thin Lizzy made pop punk songs on mushrooms. And had twins that formed a rhythm section." That's quite the description, but if that doesn't make you want to give them a listen, I don't know what will. Head over and check them out on their bandcamp here and hopefully you'll like what you hear as much as I did. 

Also on the bill for tonight are Detroit's own Trancers and The End Electric. Trancers is a 3 piece with an '80s feel. They recently released a new cover album Playing Songs by Someone Else, you can check that out here. The End Electric is an experimental rock band with an awesome female vocalist. You can check out some of their tunes here

Tonight's show is set to kick off at 7 p.m. and they're suggesting a $6 donation at the door. Trumbullplex is located at 4120 Trumbull in Detroit. For more info on this show, click here



~C

24 Hour Giveaway: Win Tickets to See The Copyrights at The Majestic Cafe

This Tuesday, May 17th Black Iris Booking is bringing The Copyrights to the stage at The Majestic Cafe in Detroit. The boys will be playing alongside Ray Rocket, The Penske File, The Slow Death, and The Raging Nathans. If you're a fan of 1970s punk, there is a good chance you'll dig this band. You can check out their music here.

Tickets for the show are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. Or, you can take a chance and enter to win a pair of tickets to the show by emailing your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com. Please make sure you put The Copyrights in the subject line so we know which contest you are entering. We will draw one lucky winner in the morning and they will be at the show tomorrow night with a friend for free! Good luck, here's to another fun filled musical week in Detroit!


~S 

Friday, May 13, 2016

Hart Plaza Transforms into a Skateboarder's Dream for Red Bull Hart Lines this Weekend

This weekend Hart Plaza will be taken over by skateboards and Red Bull for the second annual Red Bull Hart Lines! The event is a one of a kind skateboard competition featuring an insane two lane course. A group of professional skateboarders, including Ryan Sheckler, Felipe Gustavo, Alex Midler, Ryan Decenzo will take to the course to compete on several different levels. Skaters will be judged on style, speed, and difficulty, among other categories. Creativity is a plus and time will play a big factor in who wins the competition. Check out this promo video to get a better idea of what Red Bull Hart Lines is all about.


If you want to see these pros and the course in action head down to Hart Plaza this Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15. Admission to the event is free for spectators and things will kick off at 11 a.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. At 2 p.m. on Saturday, the actual qualifying competition will begin. Then, the top skaters from that will compete at 2 p.m. on Sunday. If you can't make it out both days, the Finals on Sunday will be shown live on Red Bull TV here. Highlights of the entire event will also be shown on NBC during a two hour show that will air at 1 p.m. on June 26th.

This is an absolutely awesome event and we are so lucky to have it happening right here in Detroit! So make sure you head downtown and check out Red Bull Hart Lines this weekend! For more info on this event click here.  


~C