Record Swap Tonight at The Garden Bowl

There is nothing better than a good old fashioned record swap, it's a fun way to buy or trade with others. This is a way to clean house, get rid of your doubles, and find something new. Attendance and participation is very important in this case, the more people that come out, the more treasures there are for everyone to trade, sell, and discover. 

This Tuesday Amado (Bill Bondsmen) will be hosting a good old fashioned record swap at The Garden Bowl inside the Magic Stick. They are inviting anyone who is interested to come out with their distros, zines, buttons and anything else they want to buy, sell or trade with other collectors.  The swap will start at 9 p.m. and hopefully continue semi regularly if the idea catches on. The Magic Stick is located at 4120 Woodward Ave. in Detroit. You can drink, bowl, and maybe find something cool for your collection. 

~S

Win Tickets to See Awesome Jarvis & The Whales with YUM and The Erers

The music industry is ever changing, some days new bands come together to create and some days bands we love break up. We are sad to announce that Friday, November 14th Awesome Jarvis & The Whales will be playing their last show at PJ's Lager House in Detroit. It's time to say goodbye to The Whales and hello to YUM, one of my favorite up and coming bands. They will also be joined by The Erers. The Facebook invite is calling this a funeral, so I suggest we all wear all black to the event to keep with the theme.

The show starts at 9 p.m., 21+ are welcome and it's only $5 dollars to get in. PJ's Lager House is located at 1245 Michigan Ave. in Detroit. Bands will start promptly at 9:30. We have two sets of tickets to give away to the funeral and each winner can also pick up a CD from the merch booth at the show. If you would like to enter to win, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Awesome Jarvis & The Whales in the subject. We will draw two winners the morning of the show and email them details on how to claim their prize. It's so hard to say goodbye to another great band, but as always we wish them all the best. We hope that music continues to be a huge part of your lives!

~S

This Wednesday Some of Detroit's Funniest Men Will Take the Stage for a Comedy Show at Small's

This past year Small's has been switching things up and bringing all sorts of new acts to the stage, they are no longer just a great place to see the best punk rock/rock and roll/metal in town. In fact, they currently host two of the city's best dance parties, Thirst Wave and Industrial Is Not Dead.

This week they are doing something totally new and exciting, they are hosting a comedy show. The show is called "Thank You, Internet". It will feature comedy from  Derek Swanson (Solid Dudes Kitchen), Mark Paul (Solid Dudes Kitchen Blogger), Ron Maiden, Matt Flaim, Andrew Smetek (the master of sound) and be hosted by Dave Malosh (Electric 6). The show is being described as an, "interactive comedy show using standard social media as a platform, driven by offensive and absurd internet content projected onto a 25 ft screen on the Small's stage". I can personally say that Derek and Mark Paul are extremely funny people, I'm sure that the rest of the guys have the same sick and offensive sense of humor that they do.  

The show will take place this Wednesday, November 12th. It is only $6 to get in and 21 and over are welcome to attend. Doors are at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 sharp. They made a specific request that no one bring any recording or picture taking devices of any kind. They also will not tolerate any laser pointers, if you bring that shit you will probably get beat up.

Small's is located at 10339 Conant, Hamtramck, MI. 

~S

The Wild Feathers - 24 Hour Ticket Giveaway

The Shelter has been switching things up lately by bringing different types of lineups through the doors. The venue has a rich hard rock history, but they have been dimming the lights and slowing things down by hosting a few more intimate shows. 

Tuesday The Wild Feathers will be performing inside the newly retooled Shelter alongside The Apache Relay and Desert Noises. This show should have the perfect amount of country mixed with a little bit of rock and roll. Tickets for the show are $27 and can be purchased here. We also have two pairs of tickets to give away to the show. We want to start your week off right with a night of live music inside one of the famous little spaces in Detroit. To enter to win, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with The Wild Feathers in the subject. We will draw two winners early tomorrow morning and email them details on how to claim their prize. 

In the meantime, start your Monday off right by listening to one of The Wild Feathers' latest hits "Left My Woman".

~C

Win Tickets to See JoyCut - Coming to the New Dodge All the Way from Italy!

If you are into experimental music, you have to be at the New Dodge Lounge on Wednesday night. Bologna, Italy's own JoyCut will be bringing their digital sounds to Hamtramck.

JoyCut is a 3 piece featuring two drummers and "a guy on machines." The band has been described as sounding like, "A future where robots and humans share organic meals and feelings of hope." (MTV Iggy) They have been making their way across the US and Canada in support of their latest album PiecesOfUsWereLeftOnTheGround and are wrapping up their tour this week, with their stop in Hamtramck followed by Toronto and Buffalo. So this is a rare chance to catch this band before they head back over to Europe. To get a better idea of what JoyCut is all about, check out a video from their Audiotree session below.

Opening for JoyCut are Detroit's own Characteristics and Flashclash, which guarantees that this is going to be a stellar show. Admission is only $8 and doors open at 8 p.m. However, we are getting one lucky fan into this show for free with a friend! In addition to free admission, you will also be able to pick up a signed CD from JoyCut's merch booth. All you have to do to enter is email us at hipindetroit@gmail.com with JoyCut in the subject and your name in the body. We will draw our winner Wednesday morning! So get your email in now! 

~C

Make the Drive up 75 to Union Woodshop!

I've heard about Vinsetta Garage's older brother Union Woodshop for a while now. It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It has won numerous awards for their mac and cheese, amongst other menu items. But, for some reason I had never taken the trip up 75 to this raved restaurant. Well, when I finally took the trek tonight, I found one of my new favorite restaurants.

Sadie suggested going to the Union Woodshop because she loved it the few times she went in the past and she had been wanting to head out there for another venture she's working on, called Tastemade. (You can get more details on that here.) I was in the mood for something new, so I figured, why not!

When we got to the restaurant there was about a 30 minute wait for a table, but the hostess directed us upstairs to a bar and lounge area. Kind of bummed about the wait, but holy crap, cutest bar area ever. I was already super digging this place. The decor is retro and woodsy, like I was in a cabin in the '60s.

Plus, at the top of the stairs was an awesome little shop that sold all sorts of cute gifts and quirky items. There was everything from coffee table books about Dads being hipsters to Skull shaped coin banks. Even the greeting cards had me entertained for quite a while. While we were upstairs we also had one of the best cocktails I have ever tasted, made up of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and whiskey.

Once our buzzer buzzed, we headed downstairs to the main area of the restaurant, which was even cuter than upstairs. A mix of art deco lights, '50s style booths, red, teal, awesome artwork and even a mirror with Simpsons' lines on it, it all added up to one of the coolest looking restaurants ever. Let me put it this way, I wish my house was decorated exactly like this place. But, we all know that when it comes to restaurants it's not the looks that matter, it is the food.

It took quite a while to decide what I was going to have for dinner, I definitely had to go over the menu about five times. So, Sadie and I decided to get a starter, fried pickles. Always one of my favorite appetizers, but Union does them a little different than a lot of the places have been lately. They fry up entire spears instead of chips and they use a thick fluffy batter. So frickin' good! The dipping sauce was smokey and wonderful too. Plus this appetizer was super cheap, only about $3.

It was really tough to decide what to get as our main courses. The "Samiches" all sounded delicious, I thought about a tasty salad, but I figured if I was going to try this place, I had to go all the way.

I chose the pulled pork with potato salad and the famous Union Mac & Cheese (you get two sides with your meat, I wasn't just being a pig). It was all delicious. The pulled pork was probably the best that I have ever had. The macaroni and cheese was rich, but not too rich with a super crusty baked cheese on top and the potato salad was a little dill-y and had me wishing it was still summer.
Sadie chose the special for the night, that was a steak with blue cheese melted on top, with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts on the side. She said it was one of the best steaks she ever had and her boyfriend agreed when he tried her leftovers. That brings up another big plus of this place, not only was the food delicious, but they give you a ton of it! We both left with carryout boxes full of food, definitely enough for another meal.

Now, I realize that some of you vegetarians and vegans reading this might be disgusted by the entrees that I have described so far. Don't worry, Union Woodshop has options for you too! One item that popped out to me and I actually almost ordered was a sweet potato burrito with spicy sweet potatoes, black beans, and a whole bunch of other tasty veggies packed in a tortilla. I was also excited to see the pizza menu, which included the Loaded Potato Pizza, one of my favorites at Vinsetta Garage. This is another friendly option for non-meat eaters and it even has mushrooms on it that taste like bacon. Super good!

There were some awesome desert options on the menu as well, but we were too stuffed to even consider that. This was by far one of the best meals I have had in awhile. I can see what everyone has been raving about for years. Do yourself a favor and take the ride up to Clarkston to try the place out. It sounds like waiting is pretty common though, so leave home before you are super hungry. Also, while you are in town, head down the sidewalk to the Union General which we were told is a larger version of the small shop upstairs. We didn't make it there tonight, but now I have double the reason to make the trek to Clarkston again soon!

~C

Get Down to Whiskey Business Friday Night!

It's no news that the Royal Oak Farmers Market is the site for many great events, and quite a few of them revolve around drinking. Well, this Friday night you have a chance to drink at the market once again for Whiskey Business.

This is the third installment of Whiskey Business. This time around, the event will feature over 100 different whiskeys to wet your whistle. You can see a full list of who and what will be on site here. There will be a mix of the big name brands alongside some local and independent brands. The cost to get in is $50, but that will get you 10 tasting tabs and admission. If you drink all 10, you can always buy more tabs. If you want to spend $70, you will get the VIP treatment, which means you get in the doors an hour early and you get 15 tabs instead of 10. In addition to whiskey, there will also be live music and food available for purchase from some of your favorite Detroit area restaurants.

Doors for Whiskey Business open at 8 p.m. for the general public and 7 p.m. for VIP attendees. The event will go 'til 11:30 p.m. That means you will have a lot of sips in a short time. So be smart and call Uber, Lyft, a cab or better yet, bring a Designated Driver. They can get into the event for just 15 bucks.

The Royal Oak Farmers Market is located at 316 E. 11 Mile Rd. in Royal Oak. For more information on this event, click here.

~C

Win Tickets to See Circa Survive at The Crofoot

In 2005 Circa Survive burst onto the music scene and quickly rose to fame on Equal Vision Records. I can remember my friends playing their first two albums  Juturna and  On Letting Go on repeat in their cars. It has been almost ten years since their start and the band has just released its fifth full length album on Sumerian Records called Descensus. Their sound is a little faster and a little heavier than I remember, but singer Anthony Green sounds better than ever. You can hear their newest song “Schema" here.

The band is of course going on tour to promote their latest release and is making a stop at The Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan on Saturday, November 15th. They will be taking the stage alongside Title Fight and Tera Melos. Tickets for the event are only $21.50 in advance and can be purchased here. We also have one pair of tickets to giveaway courtesy of our friends over at Fusion Shows. To enter to win the tickets, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Circa Survive in the subject. We will be drawing a winner a few days before the event and emailing them details on how to claim their prize. 

The sound system in the Ballroom is one of our favorites, this is the perfect place to see a band like Circa Survive live. The Crofoot is located at 1 S. Saginaw St. in Pontiac. Doors for the show are at 7 p.m. and all ages are welcome. 

~S 

Win Tickets to See Melissa Etheridge in Ann Arbor

I know what you're all thinking, why is hipindetroit.com giving away tickets to see Melissa Etheridge in Ann Arbor. This isn't usually our cup of tea, but hear me out.

I am a huge Howard Stern fan, I have been listening to the man since the late '90s and I am obsessed with the way he interviews people. Howard Stern can interview anyone from a janitor to a mega pop star and if you play along, he will make you interesting. In fact, how well a person performs on Stern can make or break it for me. For instance, I wasn't a huge fan of Star Trek, but Howard Stern was. He brought George Takei in to guest host the show a few years ago and I fell in love. Now I follow George's career very closely and have become a huge fan. Other people have ruined my opinion of them when they came onto Stern.

A few weeks ago Melissa Etheridge came on the show and did a great job on the show. Prior to that interview, I would have thought, "oh it's that lady that sang "Come to My Window"." I remember a lot of people listening to her albums in my dorms during my college years. It became clear during the interview and subsequent performance that Melissa Etheridge is a great singer with a lot of hits under her belt. She started going through her catalog and I became keenly aware of the fact that I love a lot of her music. She had some great hits, including "I'm the Only One", "I Want to Come Over", and "Piece of my Heart". She sounded amazing at 7 a.m. singing live in studio. You can hear that interview here.

Melissa Etheridge is bad ass and I guarantee that she is going to be amazing to see live at The Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on Sunday, November 16th. Tickets are available for purchase here, but we also have two pairs of tickets to give away courtesy of Live Nation Detroit. To enter to win a pair of tickets, please send your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Melissa Etheridge in the subject. We will draw a winner a few days before the show and email them details on how to claim their prize. 

With music it is always better to keep an open mind, you never know what great artist you going to discover or in this case rediscover.

~S

Party/Art Show/Fundraiser for Third Wave Music at UFO Factory this Friday

This Friday Third Wave Music will be hosting an event at the new UFO Factory in Corktown. Third Wave is trying to open a music supply store in Detroit, something that a lot of local musicians feel is sorely needed. They have been running an Indiegogo campaign and already raised $4,000 of their $25,000 at publishing time. They have a long way to go, but a lot of fun ways to get you to donate money this Friday.

The event is only $5 and musical guests include Passalaqua, Mama Roux,  Little Animal, and The Gabriel Brass Band. Their will be DJ sets by Sisteranna and Ice Cold Chrissy. That $5 also gets you an entry into the night's raffle, which includes prizes from Supino Pizza, Cass Cafe, MCBW, Third Wave Music, and gifts donated by local artists. They will also have one of a kind art pieces from artists, including Joey Mazzola, Kate Daughdrill, Rico Africa, Jon Rajewski, Christian Jay Sienkiewicz, Rachelle Baker, Alyssa Klash, Corey Weedon, Jeffery Thomas, Davin Brainard, Ian Ammons, Katrina Wojtan, Dan Demaggio, Janet Gray, Kara Meister, and Dave Buick. Doors for the event are at 7 p.m. and UFO  is located at 2110 Trumbull St. in Detroit. 

~S

Le Voyage Releases Their First Full Length Friday at The Loving Touch!

It has only been about a year since Le Voyage hit the Detroit music scene, but they have already made quite a name for themselves. The band has been popping up on a ton of great shows and is the talk of the town. It's no surprise since the members are all veterans to the scene, Joel Sanders (The HandGrenades, Mick Basset and The Marthas), Zach Pliska, (George Morris and the Gypsy Chorus), Ryan Wood (Exteriors), Doug Wilson (John Fet Quartet) and Jan Kruszewski (Sugar Baron).

This Friday night the band will be releasing their first full length CD. In celebration of the release, they are throwing a bash at The Loving Touch in Ferndale with Valley Hush, Moon Lake and The HandGrenades. The self titled album will be available at the show for just $5, which also includes a limited edition poster. Cover is only $5 too and doors will open at 8:30 p.m.

Thanks to the band and Lee Majors, we are also getting some fans into this show for free! We are giving away 2 pairs of tickets to this show. To enter to win, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Le Voyage in the subject. We will draw our winners the day of the show and email them details on how to claim their prize.

This is another chance to check out all of the great music that Detroit has to offer. Don't miss it!

~C

Tastemade is Looking for Hip Detroiters to Launch their New App

The internet is bringing us closer and closer together everyday. These days all you have to do is press a button and you can be looking at and talking to a friend half way around the world for FREE. Technology is taking over and changing the way we view the world around us, new apps are making our lives a lot easier and more manageable than we ever dreamed possible.

Tastemade is an online food network that made a name for itself in just two years, it is currently known as the "premiere video network for foodies". They are taking it one step further and launching an app that will make each and every one of us the star of our own visual food review.  They will be coming to Detroit to launch the app and they want you to be part of the fun.

They will be holding an official launch party in Ferndale, Michigan at The W.A.B. on November 13th from 7- 9 pm, but the catch is you have to be invited to the party. To be invited to the party and to become one of their "Tastemakers" you  must download the app and submit a video review of someplace that you love. They will be choosing 40 people to represent Detroit in The Great Taste. These people will be be given funds to continue to review some of Detroit's best resturants. There's nothing better than a free meal at a place that you love. 

The app is super easy to use and really fun. It's a cool way to give your friends, family, and followers an inside view of the places that you love to frequent. The idea behind the app is to rave about the places that you love, not complain about the places you do not like. We love that the app has a positive spin to it.

To become a Detroit Tastemaker and be invited to the event you must create your first "appisode" and send it to tastemadedetroit@gmail.com. They ask that you do not create an appisode of  a restaurant that has already been done, so check the app for places in the Metro Detroit area that have already been covered. You can review a restaurant, a bar, a cafe, anywhere were people gather to eat and drink! Once you do that, they will take a look at your entry and get you signed up to be a Tastemaker! Videos are due by November 10th so get out there and record your first review today! Please feel free to email any questions about this to tastemadedetroit@gmail.com.

~S

McClary Bros. Old Timey Drinking Vinegars - A Delicious New Take On Your Favorite Drinks

When one hears the word vinegar, their first thought isn't a tasty drink. However, when it comes to McClary Bros. Old Timey Drinking Vinegars, that is exactly the case. McClary Bros. is a Michigan company through and through. The company is Michigan based, they use Michigan produce, and they sell their product locally.

So the first question you probably have is, what the heck is a drinking vinegar? Well according to the McClary Bros., "Drinking Vinegars, more commonly referred to as "Shrubs", are a Colonial-era drink mixer. We combine organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with fresh, seasonal ingredients and organic cane sugar. The result is a refreshing, exciting mixer that we know you’ll enjoy as a cocktail or shrub soda." There are a wide variety of flavors to add to your cocktail or soda, from Michigan Apple Pie to Detroit Fig Leaf. The flavors change according to the season, you can check out a full list here.

We first heard of McClary Bros. from Mitten Crate, then Sadie saw the company at a Yelp event a few weeks ago. The name, the bottle, and the product had us intrigued. So, we decided to find out more about these brothers and their tasty concoctions. What we found out is that the company is actually ran by the mother and father of the McClary Bros. (who are a little too young to be in the business yet), Jess and Josh. Jess actually started out in the food business, by making baked goods, but she wanted to do something more. After research and soul searching, she made the decision to move away from pies and towards drinking vinegars. The company has expanded from their home, to a booth at The Rust Belt, a stand at Detroit's Eastern Market, and a spot on the shelf of some of the best bars and restaurants in Metro Detroit. Soon, the company even plans to have their own Shrub tasting room in Corktown.

We caught up with Jess McClary and the McClary Cocktail Architect, Rudy Leon, at their amazing space at The Rust Belt Market to find out more about shrubs and the story behind them. Take a listen to what Jess had to say and check out the tasty drinks that Rudy created.

For more ideas on how to use McClary Bros. drinking vinegars, check out some great recipes here.
There is even a new drink in the works using Detroit's own Tequila Cabresto. To pick up your own bottle of McClary Bros., head over to the Rust Belt located at 22801 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale. Or, like Jess hinted at, you may want to sign up to get a Mitten Crate in the mail! You just might get a bottle of McClary's along with some other flavorful Michigan treats!

~C

Win Tickets to Spend an Evening with Sloan!

Sloan has been an indie icon for over 20 years. All four members of the band write their own tracks and together they are one of indie's most respected and longest lasting bands. In fact, they still play with their original lineup. This last September they released their 11th studio album called Commonwealth.

The band is currently on tour and will be coming to St. Andrew's this Saturday, November 8th. The show is all ages and doors are at 9 p.m. Tickets are $26.50 in advance and can be purchased here. We also have two sets of tickets to give away courtesy of Live Nation Detroit. To enter to win, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com. We will draw two winners a few days before the show and email them details on how to claim their prize!

~S