Recap of HMF 2018

This past weekend the Hamtramck Music Fest took over the streets and bars of Hamtramck. Now in its fifth year, the festival brought together some of the best local talent and fans that this city has to offer. Every bar was packed, with record numbers attending the event.

We had an absolute blast this weekend, while trying to catch as many acts as we possibly could. Since the lineup was so stacked this year, it was impossible to see everyone that we wanted to, but every band that we saw, blew us away! Highlights from the weekend included, BAVE and White Bee, both at New Dodge, and The Cheetahs at Outer Limits. Speaking of Outer Limits, this was our first time checking out this bar, although it has been on our list of things to do for awhile. We absolutely fell in love with this place! It had an overall cool vibe, awesome decor, and was a great place to see a band play. Plus they serve cans of wine!

Although we didn't snag any footage while we were at Outer Limits, we did manage to get a few videos from Small's and New Dodge while we were out on the town. Check out videos from BAVE, The Dropout, Golden Torso, Bison Machine, and Bogart. The crowds got a bit crazy for some of these shows, so our apologies in advance for being a bit shaky from time to time.

We applaud of the organizers, volunteers, venues and performers for killing it again this year! The whole weekend was a blast and HMF just seems to keep getting better and better. We only wish that we could have made it to every bar and seen every band, but there's always next year! 

~C

24 Hour Ticket Giveaway: Khemmis at The Loving Touch

This Thursday night, Black Iris Booking is bringing Khemmis to town! The band is currently on tour in support of their latest release, A Conversation with Death and they are making their way to The Loving Touch tomorrow night. They will be joined by 1000 Yard Stare, Golden Torso and Bubak. Check out this trailer for Khemmis' tour to get pumped for the show!

Tickets for Thursday's show are $14 in advance and can be purchased here. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets to the show from Hip in Detroit and Black Iris Booking. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #khemmis in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Thursday morning and they will get in the door with a friend for free that night. 

Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. for this one and all ages are welcome. 

~C

Win Tickets to No Rest Fest at Marble Bar

This Saturday night some of the most intense bands that Detroit has to offer are coming together for No Rest Fest a.k.a. No Rest Frest. This is the fourth run for the festival, even though last year was referred to as No Rest Fest 4. This time around the event is taking over Marble Bar with 10 bands playing 10 minute sets. The lineup for the night includes The Armed, Pure Hiss, Reverend, Nolan The Ninja, Mover Shaker, Feral Body, Greet Death, Golden Torso, Old Gods, and SAFEWORDS. Cover for the show is only $5, but we're sure it will be packed! So you might want to pick up a ticket ahead of time here.

Thanks to Party Store Productions we are also giving away one pair of tickets to this show. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #norest in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Saturday morning and they will get into the show that night with a friend for free.

Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. for this one. For more info and to stay in the loop the night of the show, click here.

~C

Win Tickets to No Rest Fest 4

This Friday, November 4th No Rest Fest will return to Detroit for the fourth year in a row. The fest always features an eclectic mix of artists and bands and each performer only gets about ten minutes on the stage. This year's lineup includes The Armed, Bars of Gold, Zoos of Berlin, Child Bite, L.A.Z. (Clear Soul Forces), Reverend, Golden Torso, Mic Phelps, Snakewing, CAPTWOLF, Old Gods and Ready Orphan.

Advance tickets to get into the show are only $5 and they can be purchased here. You can also win a pair of tickets to the show courtesy of Party Store Productions by emailing your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #norestfest. We will draw one lucky winner on Friday morning and they will get into the fest with a friend for FREE.

All ages are welcome to come out and enter to win tickets. El Club is located at 4114 Vernor Hwy. in Detroit and doors for the fest open at 8 p.m.

~S

24 Hour Giveaway: Win Tickets to See The Bronx!!!

This week one of the most rockin' bands in the world of music is headed to Detroit. The Bronx will be hitting the stage at The Shelter this Wednesday, September 28th. The band is currently out on tour hitting a handful of cities throughout the Midwest and up the East Coast. Detroit is lucky enough to be one of those cities. If you've never seen this band live before, they are one of the most energetic bands out there. They don't have a fancy stage show or crazy antics. They just get up on stage and rock the fuck out! You can get a preview of what you can expect on Wednesday night by checking out The Bronx's new live album below.

The fact that this band is playing an intimate venue like The Shelter is insane! If you liked what you heard or are already a fan of The Bronx, you definitely do not want to miss this show! The Bronx will be joined on stage by their tour mates Dead Heavens and Pounded By The Surf as well as Detroit's own Golden Torso. Tickets to this awesome show $20 and can be purchased in advance here. All ages are welcome to attend and doors are set to open at 7 p.m.

This amazing show is being brought to you by the fine folks at Black Iris Booking, Vile Company and Live Nation Detroit. Thanks to Live Nation Detroit, we are giving away a pair of tickets to this show! If you would like to enter to win, please send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with The Bronx in the subject line. If you want to up your chances to win tickets to this one, tag us on social media (@hipindetroit) and tell us you want to go to the show! We will draw one lucky winner the morning of the show and will send the winner details on how to claim their prize. Good luck!

~C

Melt Your Ears at No Rest Fest 2 this Saturday!

I am a fan of all genres of music except new school country. I can get down with almost anything, but to most people's surprise, punk and metal will always be my two favorite genres. In fact, Pantera was my all time favorite band in high school. I love heavy guitars, moshing, and getting weird in a loud room with a bunch of kids wearing black. But, metal ins't the most popular genre anymore so great metal shows aren't as common as they used to be. But, this Saturday No Rest Fest 2 is going to take over Tires to put the heavy back onto music,

This fest boasts a killer lineup of local bands including Nice Hooves, Clear Soul Forces, The Armed, Nolan the Ninja, Mexican Knives, Golden Torso, Marital Vows, Eyesore, SSS, Old Gods, and SNAFU. It will also feature DJ sets from John Stoll and an Andrew WK cover band that will close out the night.

The best part is that with all of these bands playing, it is somehow only $5 to get in the door! On top of that, a lot of the bands are playing for FREE so that they money raised from the event can be donated to Charity Music. Don't say metal never gave back! 

Each band will be playing about a 10 minute set with a little break in-between each band, They are going to keep things heavy and moving! The first 100 people through the door will get a golden tape of the Nice Hooves' new album The Gall. This will be your only chance to get a psychical copy of the album, period. 

Tires also features a skate park, so bring your boards to grind in-between sets! All ages are welcome to come out this Saturday and the fun starts at 8 pm. There will be cheap beer, good music, and fun. See you at the show! 

~S

No Rest Fest at Jumbo's

This Saturday, January 31st head down to Jumbo's for a fest full of some of the heaviest bands Detroit has to offer. It's called No Rest Fest and it's being put on by the fine folks from No Rest Until Ruin. Rightfully so, the lineup includes No Rest's own The Armed, Old Gods and Nice Hooves along with Reverend, Golden Torso, SNAFU, 1876, Supporting Roles, Tharsis They, Misfortunate Sons, Undesirable People and an Andrew WK cover band. With a lineup like that you can expect to see some great musicians, some screaming dudes, some shirtless dudes, and some smelly dudes. Should make for a great show and a good night.

Doors for No Rest Fest open at 8:30 p.m. with bands starting at 9. All of the bands are going to be playing "short sets" and there is a DJ between bands during the "short breaks", so you can expect a non stop party. It's only 5 bucks to get in to this show and 21+ are welcome. Check out the promo video for No Rest Fest below to see just what you are getting yourself in to.

Post by No Rest Until Ruin.

Jumbo's is located at 3736 3rd Street in Detroit. For more info on No Rest Fest, click here.

~C

TONIGHT - The Best of Hardcore at the American Hardcore Series Finale

Thursday night at the Magic Stick Lounge some of Detroit's best hardcore bands will be coming together to pay tribute to some of the best hardcore bands of all time. The event is called the American Hardcore Series and this is the final installment of the event that has spanned over the last couple of years.

The lineup includes Old Gods, Child Bite, Golden Torso and Hellmouth. This time around, these bands will be covering songs from Bad Brains and Minor Threat. The bands will be playing songs throughout the night, but they also recorded a handful that will be available on two  7" albums at the show.
As you can expect from any event involving Child Bite and Shawn Knight, you can also walk out of this show with something extra bad ass. There will be custom printed wooden boxes available at the show to house the 2 records you will pick up Thursday night, along with the other 3 from the past shows in the series. The boxes will be available for $10 each, but there will be a very limited amount up for grabs. The 2 new 7" albums will be yours with admission, which is only $12.

Doors for the American Hardcore Series Finale will open at 8 p.m. and all ages are welcome. For more details, check out the Facebook event page here. We guarantee this is going to be an awesome show that you won't want to miss!

~C

Michigan On Mute

Michigan On Mute Fest is taking place this weekend, August 29-31 at Rocky's Pub in Riverview, Michigan. It will feature over 50 acts on 2 stages. The festival includes a lot of great music including Golden Torso, Child Bite, The Worst Of, Undesirable People, SNAFU, Cold English, Passalaqua, and Seven Birds One Stone.

Tickets are $15 dollars a day or $30 dollars for a three day pass.  The festival features re-entry, and they will let you bring a non professional camera inside to capture the day. They will not let you come shoe-less, wear a big wallet chain, bring a skateboard, or take in any outside food or drinks.  For a full list of rules check out the Facebook invite here. Rocky's Pub is located at 12850 Sibley Rd., Riverview, Michigan.

There will also be a kickoff party on August 28th, this party will feature music by No Such Noise,
Da Bash Brotherz, CbJ, Aztek the Barfly, and Christopher Robin. Doors for the kick off party are at 10 p.m. and Rocky's will feature drink specials including $2 PBR drafts, $4 Jameson shots, and $3 Fireball shots.

~S

The Best Party in Town is Tonight at Small's!

Tonight, head out to Small's to celebrate the birth of everyone's favorite bar owner, Mike Mouyianis. They are throwing a big bash featuring a great lineup of bands. Local favorites Golden Torso and RawDogs will be hitting the stage, but more importantly tonight is the return of Skeemin' No Goods! It has been years since the guys in Skeemin' No Goods have hit the stage here and fans are pretty stoked! To top it off, there will even be a special set from Feisty Cadavers. So whether your an old school Detroit rocker or you're part of the new generation, there is something for everyone at this show. By far the best excuse to party in Detroit tonight!

Doors to Small's open at 8 p.m. and RawDogs hit the stage first at 9:45 p.m. Make sure you head out early to check those guys out, they have been working on new tunes, they have a new guitarist playing with them, and they always bring the party. Cover is $10 at the door.

Make sure you wish Mike a Happy Birthday as well as his pals Dan Kelly and Chuck Burns! Happy Birthday guys! We hope it's a blast!!!

~C

The Only Show That Matters This Saturday - Against The Grain Vinyl Release @ Small's

This Saturday night, Small's is the only place to be. They are having a killer show with Against The Grain, Axe Ripper, Golden Torso, Year of the Pig and Final Assault. This is the official release of Against the Grain's second album Motor City Speed Rock on vinyl.

It has been a minute since you have heard us rave about how great Against the Grain is, but that doesn't mean our love for this band has diminished. We still maintain that they are one of the best bands in Detroit. These guys have been hard at work and hitting the road for what seems to be most of the past couple of years. They've headed out to the west coast, down south, up the east coast, and back around again and they don't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Although Motor City Speed Rock was originally released in 2012, this re-release on vinyl is something that fans have been anxiously waiting for. It will be available at the show this weekend for $10 with two different options, black and clear.

If Saturday's show is anything like ATG's release show for Surrounded By Snakes last year, then you aren't going to want to miss it and you better get to Small's early to get in the door. Plus, with a solid lineup from start to finish you will want to see all of the bands. Golden Torso is always amazing and we've been kicking ourselves in the ass for not heading out to an Axe Ripper show sooner. Year of the Pig and Final Assault sound like they are going to be pretty rad too. If they're on this show, they must be good. ATG doesn't fuck around and they only play with the best in town.

Doors open at 8 p.m. on Saturday and it's only $6 to get in. This show is open to all ages, so it's the perfect chance for you youngins to head out and experience some real rock 'n' roll. For more details on this show and to stay in the loop, RSVP on the Facebook event page here. Make sure to "like" Against the Grain on Facebook too to stay up to date with the band and their travels. We have a feeling that they are going to be huge very soon. So support these Detroit dudes and be able to say you were a fan way back when.

)

~C

4 Great Bands Releasing 2 Awesome Splits at The Loving Touch!

This Saturday night, The Loving Touch will be hosting a show with four great bands. Tharsis They, Golden Torso, The Armed and Nice Hooves are coming together for a dual split release show. So, two albums featuring all four of these bands. The first split is a 7" with Nice Hooves and Golden Torso, while the other features The Armed and Tharsis They. There will also be screen printed posters available at the show of the designs below, created by John Knoerl and Jason Abraham Smith.

Admission to this show is only $10, which is a pretty great deal considering that the first 200 through the door get both albums. So make sure you get there early to get your hands on both! Doors will open at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Loving Touch is located at 22634 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale. Keep an eye on the Facebook event page here for updates on this show. 

~C

Get Ready for Ypsi Fest 9 - Interview with Anthony Gentile

I always hesitate to cover something way outside the city limits, but at the same time I feel that it is good to get out and see new things and experience something outside the social scene that is Detroit. YpsiFest, taking place this weekend in Ypsilanti, MI, is one of those rare times where I say get out of the city and head into the burbs for some great music and fun. This year's fest will feature 35 bands playing on two stages. Some of the highlights for this year's lineup include The Beggars, Child Bite, Old Gods, S.N.A.F.U., The Amino Acids, All The Wild Children, Golden Torso, Snakewing, Nice Hooves, and Ciccarelli. For a full list of bands check out the Facebook invite here. This will take place November 14th, 15th and 16th at Woodruff's bar located at 36 East Cross Street. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show doesn't stop until the bar closes each night at 2 a.m.

I had a chance to talk to Anthony Gentile, the man behind the event and find out all the details that you may want to know before making the trek out to Ypsi. Check out what he has to say and head out if you like what you hear, it's definitely a solid lineup so it promises to be a great time.

Hip In Detroit- Anthony, have you been booking this fest all 9 years?
Anthony- "Yes - I started YpsiFest in 2003, and we took a couple years off around 2008/2009. But I have been the main booker since the beginning. The first couple years I had help from Leighton Mann, a good friend who was booking at the Elbow Room back then. And in 2010 and 2011, Doug Coombe helped book one night of the fest because it was his birthday and he had some favorites he wanted to play. Otherwise, it’s been my project alone."

Hip In Detroit- Tell us the best memory you have and the biggest problem/issues/or experience you have encountered.
Anthony- "There are no real “best memories” for me. In fact, there are probably more best blurs than memories. Highlights for me go back to the early days with Heads Will Roll, Bang! Bang!, Inside Five Minutes, Chapstik, Easy Action, and so many other great bands. Of course, playing has always been a highlight for me as well. I’ve played with one of my bands every year, and while that is always something I look forward to, it always goes by so fast and I get so caught up in making sure the fest runs smoothly that it really doesn’t sink in like other shows do. The hardest part about doing the fest is deciding on bands and inevitably having to personally tell a few friends that I don’t have space for them when I wish I did. There’s simply no way to get every good band in the area on a three day fest. Also, there is always a big effort to represent a wider variety of bands, but sometimes that just turns into a weird, disjointed night. This year I simply went for the bands I most wanted to see and didn’t spend any effort trying to “mix it up” just for the sake of it."

Hip In Detroit- Why Ypsi?
Anthony- "Because I live in Ypsi, and we have a great little town and I wanted to bring as many good bands to town on a good night as possible. I figured if bands from Detroit came to Ypsi for YpsiFest, and saw the potential for a good night, that they would want to come back more often for their own shows. And I think it has pretty much succeeded at that. There are many bands from the Detroit area that played their first Ypsi show at YpsiFest and then started coming back regularly."

Hip In Detroit- The show starts at 6 everyday, will there be food for sale or do we need to eat before we come?
Anthony- "No food this year as far as I know. However, Depot Town Ypsilanti has plenty of food options within walking distance. There’s Cafe Ollie a couple doors down, Aubree’s Pizza across the street, and Sidetracks on the corner. There’s also The Ugly Mug a couple blocks up the street for coffee connoisseurs."

Hip In Detroit- Any drink specials?
Anthony- "There usually are drink specials, but that’s the bar’s territory. I try to stay out of it."

Hip In Detroit- Are you allowed to leave and come back?
Anthony- "Yes. You can absolutely leave and come back."

Hip In Detroit- This year's lineup is pretty solid, what bands are you most excited about seeing?
Anthony- "I get most excited about seeing old friends that I don’t get to see very often. Not only are these some of the best bands around, but the people in them are some of the funniest people I know. We always have a good time. And any band that shows up on time, sets up quick, plays their set, and happily finishes by the time they are supposed to will be very high on my list. But seriously, I have so many friends on this lineup that I can’t bring myself to pick any highlights."

Hip In Detroit- Since there are two stages, will bands be playing at the same time or switching off?
Anthony- "Bands will be switching off. Every half hour a new band will start. There will be very little if any time between the bands but no bands will overlap."

Hip In Detroit- How late will bands be playing each day?
Anthony- "Music ends at 2 a.m. We push it to the limits."

Hip In Detroit- Anything else you want our readers to know?
Anthony- "Ypsi is a sweet town and we have a great community here of musicians, artists, and eccentrics of all kinds. Everybody is welcome and encouraged to relax and enjoy a fun weekend with some of the very best bands around. And also, Ghost Family can be a little rowdy sometimes, so don’t worry if you see some physical expressions of love and camaraderie as the nights progress."

 ~S

Win Tickets to See The Dickies at Small's!

The Dickies are coming to Small's this Friday night and we are doing a super short, only 24 hours to enter, totally awesome ticket giveaway! We're giving you the chance to get in to see The Dickies with a friend for free. And, not only is the headliner great, but so are the other bands. Joining them on the bill for the night are Break Anchor, Golden Torso, and The Flaks. We really don't have to tell you how much we love all of those guys, you've heard it enough by now.

Doors open at 8 p.m. and all ages are welcome. To enter to win tickets, just email us at hipindetroit@gmail.com with "The Dickies" in the subject line and you first and last name in the body. We will draw our lucky winner on Friday morning. If you can't wait that long to see if you won, you can pick tickets up online here for $16. Good luck!

~C

Fun Times at Keep It A Threat 5

Keep It A Threat took over Transitions Skate Park this past weekend for the fifth year in a row. With such a great lineup and having things run so smoothly, it's hard to believe that this fest is put on by just two guys. But, by talking to Jae and Dougie and seeing them on Saturday, you can tell it's a true passion of theirs and they love doing this show every year. It's an awesome event and one of the few in the area that still brings out both the young and the old. Not to mention, I haven't seen that many girls at a show in quite a while now. So maybe they factor in that they need to get some good looking bands on the lineup to attract the ladies too.

Although we arrived late in the day, we had a ton of fun. I just missed The Dewtons by about thirty seconds, which was a total bummer, but still got a chance to see The Armed, Golden Torso, and Against The Grain. I have to admit, this is the first time that I have had the chance to see The Armed perform and I can kind of see what everyone's been raving about. It's rare to see a crowd get that into a band and a singer interact with the crowd that much since the early 2000s or late 90s. Not to mention that throwing pieces of your drum set at the end of the set usually gets people's attention too.

Up next was Golden Torso who were as loud, awesome, and naked as ever. These guys always put on a hell of a show and even if you aren't that in to their music, they're fun to watch. Lucky for me, I really dig them so the entertainment factor is just an added bonus.

Last, but definitely not least, was Against the Grain. I think it's pretty obvious by now that I'm way into this band. It was great seeing these guys again after being out on the road for quite a while. Awesome set as always, although I must say I was a little disappointed in the crowd. Maybe it was that they had all been there for about 12 hours or the lack of alcohol in everyone's blood. Despite the reason, the crowd wasn't quite as revved up as at most Against the Grain shows. The band has a couple more local shows coming up in the next month or so though, so I expect their fans to redeem themselves then.

So, if you missed out on Keep It A Threat, you definitely missed out on a good show and good time. My only complaint is that I didn't get there sooner to see more of the bands and to see Jesse from Frank White skateboarding (it's been years since I've seen that). The bands I did get to see were all great and the fest as a whole seemed to be smooth sailin'. There is one more thing that I have to mention that I was amazed by. How the hell do people climb up those ramps? Maybe it's my short legs or the fact that I'm old, but I tried twice and failed miserably. Even when I stood about 2 feet up them I kept sliding down. Very impressive and I was very jealous that I didn't get to watch any bands from up high. I'll definitely practice my incline climbing skills for next year and make sure to block Keep It A Threat 6 off in my calendar way ahead of time. Too much fun to miss out on any of it again next year!

~C

Keep It A Threat 5! - Video with Dougie and Jae!!!

Coming up on Saturday, September 28th there is a festival that is so awesome that we had to tell you about it a little earlier than we normally would. Keep It A Threat 5 is an all day skating and music festival held at Transitions Ramp Park. This event that is in its fifth year (hence the 5) is put on by two great guys, Dougie and Jae. They decided to start this event because, at the time of it's fruition, there were no other fests of this kind in the area and not really any fests at all for that matter.

We met up with Dougie and Jae for a few drinks and to chat about KIAT. Check out what they had to say and we hope you enjoy the soundtrack provided by the fine folks at the Garden Bowl.

As Dougie, Jae & Sadie mentioned, this year's lineup is pretty amazing. It includes Against the Grain, Dead Church, Snakewing, Axe Ripper, The Gutter Ghouls, Golden Torso, The Armed, St. Thomas Boys Academy, Frank White, Teenage Rehab, Murder Party, Voice of Addiction, Bad Assets, The Flaks, Desiring Dead Flesh, Stale Phish, and of course, Aggro or Die! and The Dewtons. 18 stellar bands for a measly 13 bucks. Plus, you can skate while you are there and you BMXers can even ride too! All ages are welcome to Keep It A Threat and doors open at 10 a.m. with music starting at Noon. The fest goes all day 'til about 11 p.m., but you should probably just drag your ass out of bed early for a change. We're sure it will be worth it! For any other details you might want to know, head over to the Facebook event page here.

~C

Our Picks for the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival!!!

The trees are starting to change colors and the air is getting cooler. It's almost time for school to start and boot season to begin, but not until after Labor Day. Labor Day has always marked the end of Summer in Michigan and what better way to celebrate then with a free three day festival in the heart of Hamtown.

This year's Hamtramck Labor Day Festival will start Saturday, August 31st and go through Labor Day, Monday, September 2nd. It will feature music, food, rides, a parade,drinks and fun for the whole family. The event takes place outside in the heart of the city on Joseph Campau. Two stages will be playing music from approximately 1 p.m. 'til 9 p.m. all three days.

We wanted to give you our list of don't miss acts for the weekend so you can plan ahead.

Saturday, August 31
North Stage:

 4:30 p.m. - The ILL Itches
South Stage:
7 p.m. - Tunde

Sunday, September 1st
North Stage:
 5:30 p.m. - Radio Burns 

(Ex-Members of Millions of Brazilians and The Suicide Machines)

7:30 p.m. - Golden Torso
8:30 p.m. - Break Anchor

South Stage:

7 p.m. - Polish Muslims

Monday, September 2nd
North Stage:
7:30 p.m. - Bill Bondsmen
8:30 p.m. - The Infatuations

South Stage:
2:30 p.m. - Kielbasa Kings (Yes, I love polka!)
5 p.m. - Pink Lightning
6 p.m. - George Morris

For more information check out Hamtramck Labor Day Festival's Facebook page and enjoy the last days of Summer because before you know it, it will be time for another Michigan winter.

~S&C

Win Tickets to see Break Anchor, Golden Torso, Knife and More!

Here at Hip In Detroit we've pretty much become the go to place for ticket giveaways. I know that we love whenever we have the chance to get into a show for free, especially since we are pretty broke more often than not. So hopefully you appreciate free tickets as much as we do!

Mike over at Small's has always been way too good to us and this week he is spreading his generosity towards us on to our readers. Saturday night there is an amazing show lined up for Small's and it's also Mike's Birthday Celebration as well as his friends Dan Kelly and Chuck Burns. The bands on the bill include Break Anchor, Golden Torso, Knife and Blue Snaggletooth. As you probably know by now, we love Break Anchor and Golden Torso. We have heard nothing but good things about Blue Snaggletooth and Knife too, so we are looking forward to the chance to check both out this weekend. 

Well, thanks to Mike & Small's, we are giving one lucky fan the chance to get them and a friend in to this show for free. All you have to do is email us at hipindetroit@gmail.com with "Saturday at Small's" in the subject line. Normally we would have you put a band name there, but we can't just pick one this time around and all 4 is a lot to type. Make sure you also include your first and last name in the body of the email so we know who you are! If you want to double or even triple your luck, tweet at us (@hipindetroit) about the show or tell us on Facebook that you want to go! 

We're sure this is going to be one hell of a party that you aren't going to want to miss! We'd like to wish Mike a very Happy Birthday! If you see him on Saturday, make sure you wish him one too! Doors for this show open at 8 p.m. and it's only $6 to get in. For the rest of the details, head on over to the Facebook event here.

~C

Another Chance to Win Tickets to Black Christmas!

Two weeks from now twenty seven of Detroit’s biggest bands are going to be playing under the same roof to celebrate Black Christmas. Black Iris Booking has gone out of their way to book one of the biggest shows of the year. Friday, December 28th The Magic Stick, Majestic Theatre, Magic Stick Lounge and the Garden Bowl will have bands playing from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. If you purchase a ticket to this event you will have access to all of the bands in all three rooms. It is basically four different shows for the price of one! Tickets are $20 for the first 500 pre-sale tickets sold, $22 for pre-sale once those sell out and $25 at the door the night of the show. It can save you up to $5 to buy your ticket in advance. Of course we want to do even better than $20; we want to get you and a friend in for free. Each Friday we will be featuring a few of the bands that are playing the Black Christmas show. You can check out that feature and then either tweet us on twitter @hipindetroit or tag us on instagram @hipindetroit. You must use the hashtags listed in that week’s article to win the prize.

Nice Hooves:
This band has just hit the Detroit scene this past year, but one of my favorite vocalists is in the band so they immediately caught our attention. Everyone keeps asking for a Bang Bang reunion. How about instead of yearning for the past, you embrace the future and check out how far Dave Graw has come in the last 10 years. You think he was an epic front man then, just wait. They even put out their first video about a month ago. This is one band whose set you will not want to miss because people will definitely be talking about it later.

Play Jazz from Nice Hooves on Vimeo.

Spick of it All:
From Amado - The idea of Spick of it All started around 1993, but didn't play their first show until 2006. Spick of it All are Tony Barragan (Parka Kings, Telegraph, Exceptions), Big Carlos (Replicas, Weed Nap), Little Carlos (Imp Villians, Voice of Anger), Marcus Villareal (x- Louder Than Bombs) and Amado Florencio Guadarrama Perea Gutierrez Mendoza III (Bill Bondsmen, Bump-n-Uglies) Spick of it All will take punk and hardcore classics, change them up a bit, throw some cilantro on them and serve them to you with perfect mexicution. Spick of it All provides lyrics sheets at most shows to help with the sing along; this next one won't be an exception. Contrary to popular belief, Spick of it All didn't pick up their newest bass player at a Home Depot parking lot, though one of their bass players did end up getting deported (true story). Spick of it All are MexiCANs, not MexiCAN'TSEnd of the day: Spick of it All wants to party till your uncles start fighting and then hugging.....Mexico style.

Break Anchor:
Break Anchor is one of our favorite local bands. When we watch them play live we remember why we first fell in love with singer Jay Navarro, there is no one who fronts a band like him. We have followed his career through the years including Jack Kevorkian and the Suicide Machines, Hellmouth, Cleons Down and of course The Suicide Machines. We always have a great time at a Break Anchor show; the music is upbeat and solid. Chris Golan, Kyle and Dan all jump around, sing along, and in general draw you into the performance so that you have a good time while they play. Check out our interview with Jay earlier this year at The Loving Touch. He talks about his past, present and future.

Golden Torso:
This band is known for two things, putting on a great show and taking their shirts off. The are self described as 3 chubby dudes and one little man, but we describe them as a band that kills it live and knows how to shred on guitar. We caught up with them a few months ago at Small's. Check out the interview here:

This week’s hashtags will be #BlackIrisBooking #HipInDetroit # BlackChristmas #MagicStick #NiceHooves @SpickOfItAll #GoldenTorso #BreakAnchor

Here's a  complete list of the bands playing Black Christmas: The Suicide Machines, Mustard Plug, Koffin Kats, Continental, Kid Brother Collective, The Swellers, We Are The Union, Few & Far Between, Break Anchor, The A-Gang, Common Enemy, Golden Torso, P.T.'s Revenge, Snakewing, Louder Than Bombs, All Eyes West, Down Down Down, Still Alive, Slo Poke, The Black List, DGR/DWN, Arm Your Enemy, Nice Hooves, Seized Up, The Mizzerables, Wrist Rocket and Spick Of It All

Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketweb.com or at the Garden Bowl free of services charges. Get yours now! The second winner will be announced Thursday December 27th, so make sure to enter as soon as you are done reading this article!

~S

Bringin' Back Basement Shows

This Friday you have a chance to see some great bands in one of my favorite basements in town! The Toepfer House in Warren is hosting a show featuring The Dewtons, Golden Torso, Fires In Japan and The A-Gang. We absolutely love going to shows at this space. It's always so much fun. And if you are worried that you are too old for a basement show, you're not. We guarantee you will love it too. Since we are such fans of this house/venue, we wanted to take some time to get to know the people behind Toepfer House and find out what they have going on there. Here's what Beth (and Vince & Nick) had to say. 

Hip In Detroit - What made you want to start having basement shows at your house? How long have you been hosting shows?
Beth - "Pretty much everyone who has ever lived in the house is in a band or tied to a band in some way, so I think it was just kind of bound to happen. Before Vince (from Cheapshow) and Nick (from Against The Grain) moved in to the house we had had a few shows here, but in the last few months things have really started to take off. Kyle from Break Anchor used to live here as well and I think that definitely helped us get our foot in the door a little bit. Now Vince is kind of in charge of putting the shows together that we'd like to have played here, I book most of the ones that people come to us asking about or touring bands, and Nick just tells us when A.T.G. is going to play here."

Hip In Detroit - What do you think is the best show you guys have had?
Beth - "All of the shows we've had here have been great. We've had shows with a handful of people, and we've had shows where we couldn't squeeze another person in the basement. I don't know if I could pick a favorite show, but I definitely have a favorite moment. We booked a really last minute show with a touring band who's original show had gotten bumped. On a week's notice I managed to get together some other bands and promoted it the best I could. The night of the show finally rolls around and one of the bands didn't even bother showing up. I think five people total wound up paying and it was pouring down rain and absolutely awful outside.  We wound up spacing out the three bands that were playing about an hour apart, and everyone who did show just sat around drinking beer and getting to know each other all night. At one point a good chunk of us went outside to smoke and it was still pouring so we all huddled under this giant beach umbrella, and someone said, "Everyone here is really nice." That's the moment I realized how much I loved what we do here and that we had accomplished what we set out to do. There could be 5 people here or there could be 150, and everyone's still having a good time."

Hip In Detroit - So, you had the pleasure of having The Suicide Machines play in your basement, not many people can say that. What was that like?
Beth - "It was absolutely incredible. Vince and his partner, Jess put this one together and it was for a great cause. If someone would have told teenage me that one day The Suicide Machines would be playing in my basement I never would have believed them. It's definitely a story we're going to have to tell people when we're older. "

Hip In Detroit - What would be your dream show to have at Toepfer House?
Beth - "We all have pretty different tastes in music so I asked everyone for their opinion (keep in mind we're dreaming here). Vince says Latterman, Against Me!, The Gaslight Anthem, and The Measure (SA). I say The Lawrence Arms, Banner Pilot, The Riverdales, and The Ergs. Nick says someone good (Vince and I are guessing Turbonegro.)"

Hip In Detroit - The giant beer wall decals in the basement... Did you guys put those up or were they there when you moved in?
Beth - "They were already here. When my original roommates and I first moved in to the house it was the first thing that was pointed out to me. I think it was kind of meant to be."

Hip In Detroit - What do you guys have coming up?
Beth - "This Friday we have The Dewtons, Golden Torso, The A-Gang, and Fires in Japan. I've definitely been looking forward to that one for a while now. Next Friday we have an all acoustic show with Vince playing Cheapshow songs, Jordan and Eric from Due North, Allison Hannah (The Gator), and Andrew and David from Fires in Japan. We have something in the works for a Valentine's Day cover show, and some things getting put together in March and April, and it's not confirmed yet but there might be a Frank White reunion show in the works for sometime in January."

Hip In Detroit - Now's your chance, is there anything you want to tell people that come to Toepfer House for a show?
Beth - "I'd really like to just thank everyone who comes out to these shows, all the bands that play, everyone who helps get gear together for us, and everyone who helps promote these shows. Without everybody else, what we do here would never be possible. Everyone has always been very respectful of our property and of the other people here, and we really appreciate that. We have a lot of fun putting on these shows, and I hope we get to do it for a long time. Oh and a very big thanks to every drunk person at every show, we appreciate your returnables."

Hip In Detroit - Other than your house, what's your favorite venue? Favorite place to shop, grab a drink, grab some food, etc.?
Beth - "My favorite venue is probably the Magic Stick, Small's is great too and probably my favorite place for drinks along with The Loving Touch. As far as food goes some personal favorite spots are Louie's Ham and Corned Beef just down the street from here, when I'm craving some veggies Inn Season in Royal Oak is great, and of course you can't go wrong with pizza, and if you haven't tried Vincenzo's at 13 and Mound yet, you should definitely give them a shot. Shopping? Merch tables."

Thanks again to Beth and the guys for taking the time to answer these questions and for opening their home up to so many great bands and so many people! We love to party at your house and we hope you continue to let us! We also love the wall decals in the basement. Super lucky find! 

So this Friday, head down to South Warren. The address is 8741 Toepfer and $5 will get you in the door. Don't forget to pick up a couple of 40s on your way down! Lucky for you, there are plenty of liquor stores to choose from while drivin' on Van Dyke!

~C