Hip in Detroit's Picks for the Weekend: January 28-30

Friday, January 28th - Edison Hollow, Knuckle Dragger, and a trilogy of short films by Vampa's Visions: Enjoy a screening Vampa's Visions' latest film An Occasion of Sin this Friday night at PJ's Lager House. There will also be music by Edison Hollow and Knuckle Dragger, as well as other short films to kick off the event. Cover is $5, 21+ are welcome, and doors open at 8 p.m.

Friday, January 28th - Funk Night @ The Old Miami: Funk Night takes over The Old Miami this Friday night! Dance the night away to funk and soul from 9 p.m. until the bar closes. Tunes for the evening will be supplied by DJ Dez aka Andrés, Crate Digga and Frank Raines. Cover is $5 and 21+ are welcome.

Saturday, January 29th - Winterfest @ the Belle Isle Nature Center: Get outside and enjoy winter this Saturday at the Belle Isle Nature Center! This outdoor event will feature ice carving, s'mores, snowshoeing, winter hikes, crafts, outdoor activities and more. This family friendly event happens from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Saturday, January 29th - The Amino Acids @ Small's: This Saturday night, The Amino Acids will return to Hamtramck to play Small's. Joining them for the night are Nonagon and The Counter Elites. Cover for this great lineup is only $5 and 18+ are welcome. Doors open at 8 p.m. 

Saturday, January 29th - Grand Heft EP Release @ Trixie's: During the pandemic, some bands played live streams, some took a break, and others got to work. Grand Heft spent the last two years working on a new EP "Auto". They will be celebrating the release of it this Saturday night at Trixie's. Also on the bill are Gashounds and Jack & The Bear. Cover is $10. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the music starts at 9. 

***Many events require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for entry. We suggest checking with the venue's social media or website for the most up to date requirements.***

~C

13 Bands on 3 Stages

This Saturday 13 awesome bands will come together for one night for another amazing Band Blender. Put on by Scott Boyink, these events feature a bunch of great bands, playing super short sets, on three stages. Once again the blender will be taking over Small's bar in Hamtramck. This time around the lineup includes The Amino Acids, Friends of Dennis Wilson, The Counter Elites, CARJACK, Mechanical Heart, Smash the Jukebox, The Lucid Furs, The Strains, Something to Hate, Milk Bomb, The Imaginatron, Steve Harvey Oswald and Cockhorse.

Admission to the Band Blender is only $3 for those 21+ with proceeds going to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance. If you're under 21, you'll have to pay a little more. Admission will be $10, with part of that still going to charity. All ages are welcome to attend this event and doors are set to open at 8 p.m.

Small's is located at 10339 Conant in Hamtramck. For more info on this show, click here.

~C

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

Hardcore, Punk & Other Junk Release Party!

This Friday Small's is hosting a special celebration. They have gathered The Counter Elites, HafLife, Arm Your Enemy, and 1592 to celebrate the release of a new book called Hardcore, Punk and Other Junk: Aggressive Sounds in Contemporary Music.

This book is “a collection of writings on music that is considered aggressive throughout the world”. It features a chapter on hometown heroes Hellmouth that was written and edited by none other than Eric Abbey, the lead vocalist of 1592. Eric is a professor at Oakland Community College and has already written another book called Garage Rock and Its Roots: Musical Rebels and the Drive for Individuality. This book goes into detail about music that is normally considered aggressive, music that tends to cause the crowd to move, and sometimes even fight, something that patrons of Smalls’s know all too well. 

Small’s is located at 10339 Conant in Hamtramck and doors are at 8 p.m. The cover is only $5 at the door. To buy an advanced copy of the book or to learn more about it click here.

~S

Are You A Counter-Elite???

"Are you a Counter-Elite?" That is the question that the band The Counter Elites is screaming in the song "Bust Em Up" featured on their website mycounterelites.com. They are releasing their first record August 31st at The Tangent Gallery in Detroit and they want to give you a free copy of their new album for coming to the show.

They have teamed up with Odd Hours, Sex Police, Double Weirdo, Dad 1000, and Richard Gumby for the release party this Saturday. The record will be released on Simple Living Ferndale Records and the first 100 people through the door will get a copy of all 26 songs that they recorded, along with a 30 page booklet that includes stickers. Not a bad deal for only having to pay $8 to get into the show. They will also have karaoke throughout the night to keep the fun going. Karaoke starts at 8 p.m. and music goes 'til 2 a.m. The Tangent Gallery is located at 715 East Milwaukee in Detroit and 21+ are welcome.

~S

This Wednesday is the March Duendesday!!!

 




It's time for another installment of Duendesday at The Loving Touch. This is everyone’s favorite monthly hangout where Duende invites a few of their friends to play alongside them for the night. It was started at Bart’s Cafe before it closed and relocated down the street when it did. 

This month Duende is performing with Robin Parrent, Ryan Dillaha and The Counter Elites. The best part is it is FREE to get in the door. The bands pass around a bucket while they perform and if you like what you hear and can spare some money, they encourage you to throw it in.This month will be even bigger and better because it is also Ryan Dillaha's and Scott Sanford's birthday celebrations, an extra reason to have fun and drink. 

Doors open at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and bands start promptly after. The Loving Touch is located at 22634 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale. Remember Duendesdays are the first Wednesday of every month! We will always let you know who's playin,g but if you can't get there this month make sure to make it out next month. This is a great way to catch up and coming acts from all around Metro Detroit!

~S