DIY Did It Again

To pull off a fest the size and quality of the DIY Street Fair most people would need months, if not an entire year. Yet somehow the Johnstons and their staff pulled off yet another amazing DIY, but this time they only had about a month to plan it.

As we mentioned last week, this year's DIY almost didn't happen due to construction that was supposed to take place this summer and fall in Ferndale. Once the construction schedule changed, the organizers' minds also changed. So that left them a small amount of time to plan a huge event. Somehow they still managed to have an amazing lineup of artists, vendors, and musicians.

The vendor booths included some old favorites like 18X24, Jason Gibner and Aptemal Clothing. But, there were quite a few different vendors that stuck out this time around.

We were really excited to see Outer Spaceways Apparel had set up shop. We've seen their shirts and bags in the past at Dally in the Alley. They are pretty outrageous and very fun. We enjoyed chatting with the folks at Maestros Dog Haus who sold great pet treats, including frozen yogurt for dogs. My dog already thoroughly enjoyed her pig ear and I can't wait to treat her to a great canned food I picked up containing Pumpkin and Sweet Potato. You don't see those ingredients in pet food very often! I also picked up what is quite possibly the softest sweatshirt I have ever purchased at the Ink Detroit booth. These are just a few of the many rad vendors that were at the fair though. Tons of super cute designs and awesome art, if only we had money for it all.

This year the music lineup seemed to be switched up a bit from DIYs of the past. There were some rock bands on the bill, like The Hard Lessons and George Morris & The Gypsy Chorus, but it seemed like this time around DIY was trying to get people to dance. With acts like Doc Waffles, Alexis and Passalacqua, you would have to try pretty hard to not at least move around a little bit. In my book though, the best act of the whole weekend was Deastro. This was my first time seeing the Deastro again since they reunited as a full band. It's like they never stopped playing music together. Amazing! As soon as they started playing I remembered how much I love this band and now I cannot wait to see them play again. Check out a song from their set below.

Last, but definitely not least, we would like to send an extra special shout out to our friends at The Loving Touch. We were lucky enough to be a part of DIY this year, as we hosted the Friday night after party. Everyone on staff at The LT is amazing and we love them for putting up with us and our antics. Tunde, Little Animal, Cheerleader and Thomas Xu all killed it and the place was insanely packed! Thank you to all of the acts, to Hype Ignition for printing shirts on the spot, and most of all to all of you that came out and partied with us!

Once again, the DIY Street Fair was a huge success. Props to all of the people involved in making this event happen. Always one of the best weekends of the year!

~C

Come Party at the Hip In Detroit DIY After Party!

There's no party like a Hip In Detroit party because a Hip In Detroit party isn't just another show, it's an experience. We intend to make sure that everyone who comes out to The Loving Touch this Friday has a memorable night and we have pulled out all the stops to make sure that it happens.

First of all, it's FREE to get in and party with us. There will be no lame ass cover to steal beer money away from you, we want  you to have that extra drink and get weird with us. We don't want your money, we just want you.

We have also booked one hell of a lineup which includes Tunde Olaniran, Little Animal, Cheerleader, and DJ Thomas Xu. The amazing, mind blowing, and super sexy Tunde Olaniran will be headlining the show. If you haven't seen him perform, you have no idea what you're missing out on. He is a one of a kind artist who will blow your mind, there are no limits to his creativity and the motherfucker can sing. Little Animal also has one hell of a voice. This two person act is one of our favorite up and coming groups and we think that all of you will like what you hear. Cheerleader is a bad ass all lady band from Flint, Michigan that brings me back to my riot girl days. I do not think that a lot of people in Detroit have seen or heard of them, you will all be in for a big surprise. And DJ Timas Xu will also be playing tunes in-between the bands to make sure that the fun never stops.

Finally, we have invited Hype Ignition to come out and print one of a kind Hip In Detroit shirts. We have never sold any merch before and who knows if we ever will again. We just think it is so cool that he runs a mobile screen printing company that can come out to a show and make you the shirt that you want right in front of your eyes. Anyone who is interested in supporting hipindetroit.com by wearing a shirt needs to make sure that they stop by the merch booth. This is D.I.Y. at its finest.

There will be more surprises throughout the night and a lot of dancing because we will also be celebrating my (Sadie's) birthday. I expect a lot of spankings and shots throughout the night.

The party starts inside The Loving Touch as soon as things wind down outside. Mark your calenders, you do not want to miss this one!

The Loving Touch is located at 22634 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale.

~S