Check Out Two New Detroit Bands This Weekend at the Lager House!

Saturday night head down to Corktown to check out 2 new Detroit bands that everyone will be talking about very soon. The bands are Orange Atlas and Gold Crayon and they are playing at PJ's Lager House.

Orange Atlas is a five piece that describes themselves as "Urban Psychedlic". They have actually been around for a minute, but just started playing shows recently. They're in the process of recording a new album right now, but they have a bunch of tunes you can check out on Soundcloud here.

Gold Crayon is a new project featuring Gregory Beyer, Steve Lehane, Michael Krygier, Taylor Pierson and Steve Stetson. Although you might know some of these guys from other bands, this is the first show for this band. They don't have any tunes out yet, but they aren't wasting any time. They have already been busy in the studio recording. So be sure to keep an eye on their Facebook page to hear more from these guys.

Also on Saturday's show are Sarah Burton from Toronto and Frank Patrick James with his band. Admission is only $5 and doors open at 9 p.m. PJ's Lager House is located at 1254 Michigan Ave. in Detroit.

~C

Win Tickets to See Honeyblood with 2:54!

Girls are taking over UFO Factory on Wednesday, March 4th. Party Store Productions is bringing 2 amazing female projects to Detroit all the way from Scotland & England. The bands are 2:54 and Honeyblood, and if you haven't heard them yet, we think you will like what you hear.

Honeyblood is an indie rock duo with just enough grrrl rock. If you're a fan of bands like the Breeders or Sahara Hotnights, you'll probably like what you hear. The band features Stina Tweeddale on vocal/guitar and Cat Myers on drums. They released their self titled debut album in the summer of 2014. You can check it out here.

2:54 features two sisters (Colette & Hannah Thurlow) alongside a couple of awesome dudes (Alex Robins, Rich Fry). This band is a little less poppy, leaning more towards a trippy grunge feel. They also recently released a new album, entitled The Other I. Head over and check it out here.

Tickets for this show are $10 in advance and can be purchased online here. Thanks to Party Store Productions, we are also getting someone in to this show with a friend for FREE. To enter to win, just email us at hipindetroit@gmail.com with your name in the body and Honeyblood/2:54 in the subject. We will draw one lucky winner the morning of the show and let them know how they can claim their prize.

Doors will open at 9 p.m. on Wednesday. The UFO Factory is located at 2110 Trumbull in Corktown in Detroit. For more details on this show, click here.

~C

Win Tickets to Bronze Mambas' Back From The Dead, Vol. 1 Release Show!

Detroit rockers Bronze Mambas are celebrating the release of their first full length album this Friday, February 27th at The Old Miami. The three piece includes David Bronze on vocals, Zander Way on drums and Dan O'Leary on guitar. To hear some of their sounds, head over and check them out on YouTube here.

Everyone that comes through the door on Friday will get a copy of Bronze Mambas' album, entitled Back From the Dead, Vol 1. Joining the band on stage are Red Stone Souls, The Native Howl and The Gasoline Gypsies. Admission is only $5 and doors are set to open at 8 p.m. Lucky for you, we are also giving away 2 pairs of tickets to this show! If you would like to get your name in the hat, just email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Bronze Mambas in the subject line. We will draw 2 winners the morning of the show and let them know how to claim their prize.

The Old Miami is located at 3930 Cass Ave. in Detroit. For more details on this show, head to the Facebook event page here.

~C

Last Thursdays with The Seraphine Collective at The Lager House

Detroit has a very unique music scene.  There are so many bands, so many venues, and so many great artists within our community. Many of those talented artists are women, amazingly talented women who run companies, play music, write, paint, and just generally kick ass. I consider my business partner Christie Laabs to be one of the many bad ass women who make this music scene move. What would we do without Sarah and Ramona at Black Iris Booking and Virginia Benson at Party Store Productions? These ladies work really hard to bring great bands through Detroit. Rachel May fronts Broadzilla and hosts a cool show on Hard Edge Radio. Val and Elise from MPV get on stage and perform so fearlessly. Carey Gustafson, Amy Cronkite and Bethany Nixon run Handmade Detroit and work really hard to bring us The Detroit Urban Craft Fair every year. These women are amazing and talented and I respect the hell out of them.

Another group of amazing women called The Seraphine Collective are working together to create, "an inclusive, supportive and active community of female-identified musicians and artists designed to foster creative expression and camaraderie among feminists in Detroit". Their goal is, "to create a collaborative, female-owned and operated music and art community space". This group is made up of nine great women who are working hard to bring positivity to the Detroit music scene, this is obviously something that we can get behind. These ladies are booking shows and events that promote female unity and positivity. They also have a Soundcloud where they are posting all kinds of great tunes. You can check that out here.

The Collective has establish a monthly event at PJ's Lager House called Last Thursdays. These monthly events will bring local and national female acts to the stage together. The next installment of this series will take place this Thursday, February 26th at 9 p.m. Little Animal and VNESSWOLFCHILD along with DJs Mother Cyborg, Marianna Vermiglio and Dina Bankole will be performing. It is only $5 to get in the door and The Lager House is located at 1254 Michigan Ave. in Detroit.

~S

Win Tickets to See Tennis Before You Can Buy Them!!!

Denver duo Tennis just announced that they are heading out on tour across the U.S. with one of their last stops being right here in Ferndale. The tour is in support of their latest album Ritual In Repeat that came out this past fall. Check out the video for their song "Bad Girls" off the new album below.

Tennis will be hitting the stage at The Loving Touch on Wednesday, May 20th. Tickets will be $12 in advance or $15 at the door and are set to go on sale this Friday, February 27th at 10 a.m. Thanks to our friends at AEG Live we are giving away a pair of tickets to this show before you can even buy them! To enter to win, email you full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Tennis in the subject line. We will announce our winner early Friday morning so you know if you have to buy your tickets or not! We guarantee this is going to be a great show, plus it's at one of our favorite venues, The Loving Touch. You can't go wrong with this one!

~C

Free in Detroit

Boot-Cut Booking has come up with a very cool idea to shake things up. They are starting a new event that will run monthly or bimonthly called Free in Detroit. The idea behind this event is to bring some of Detroit's best bands, artists, photographers, and independent apparel lines together outside of the city to expose them to a new audience.

This event will be held at Hatchy's in Downtown Utica. You might not think of Downtown Utica as a happening place, but I went out and toured the venue and my mind was blown. The space is gorgeous, huge, has great lighting, a great stage, and a large bar. It has a nice green room for bands that are performing and a large space for local artists to set up and sell their wares.

The first month's lineup includes Adventurer, Wolfshark, Some Sort Of Oasis (SPECIAL REUNION SET), 1876 and Antevorta. Vendors will include Dylan Dulberg Photography, Eternally Nocturnal, Animated Apparel, Ron Malmsten Design, and more. It is happening this Thursday, February 26th at 7 p.m. The best part about this event is that it is FREE. It is a great way to get out of your comfort zone, try something new, and to network with other up and coming artists in the area.  

If you would like to play at a future show or set up a table, reach out to Boot-Cut Booking. You can also follow them on Facebook to keep up with future events and bookings. Very cool idea! 

~S

Mac N' Brews at The Royal Oak Farmers Market

This winter has been harsh, the cold temperatures and strong winds have kept a lot of us locked inside for fear of frostbite. Cozying up with a blanket can be the best feeling in the world, but sometimes you also need to get out of the house. Living through a Michigan winter isn't easy, we have to bundle up and get out to keep our sanity.

This Thursday, February 26th the Royal Oak Farmers Market is hosting an event to get you out of your house while still keeping you cozy. Mac N' Brews will feature drinks and bites from 20 local restaurants and 20 breweries. This includes food from local favorites like Sweet Lorraine's, Granite City, Ale Mary's, Republica, and Monk Beer Abbey. The event will feature Dragonmead, Griffin Claw Brewing Company, Magic Hat, and Brooklyn Brewing Company. General admission tickets to the event are $50, they can be purchased here. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. For more details about the event, head over to their website here.

~S

The Street Light Series Film and Music Showcase

This Friday, February 27th the Street Light Series will be bringing Detroit's indie music scene and indie film scene together for one special night at The Elizabeth Theater. This event will feature  narrative short films, documentary short films, music videos. feature film trailers, and art- house commercial advertisements that were made right here in Michigan. Ten plus production companies will be featured. They will also have local bands Garbage Tornado, SICK, and F. Patrick James. This event is being put on by Rumor Productions and is being sponsored by D.I.M.E. Detroit.

Tickets for the event are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, advance tickets can be purchased here. Check out the teaser for the event and head out at 7 p.m. this Friday to support the local music and movie scenes!

Streetlight Series - Teaser from Rumor Productions, LLC on Vimeo.

~S

Thanks for Celebrating 3 Years of Hip In Detroit!

One of the goals of Hip In Detroit has always been to create a community. Saturday night we achieved that. This year's bash brought together a ton of people from all walks of life that all have one thing in common, they love music and they love this City.

Saturday night we took over Small's in Hamtramck to celebrate 3 years of running the website you are reading right now. It has been 3 years of a lot of hard work and a lot of fun running Hip In Detroit, and in celebration of that we had plenty of fun at our big bash. It was great to see so many people we care about in one place along with a ton of new faces.

This year we brought together 7 very different artists for one night. Every act was awesome from start to finish and reminded us why we love each and every one of them. Check out some videos from MPV, Zander Michigan, Her Dark Host, Radio Burns, James Linck and Snakewing below. Huge shout out to Christopher Jarvis for ending the night for us! Unfortunately we were having a little too much fun at that point to get a video.

We also are lucky enough to know a ton of great businesses around the area, and so many of them showed their support this weekend! 32 people walked away with great prize packs full of items from local businesses and music from local musicians. We think that they were 32 very happy people too! We can't thank everyone that contributed to the prize packs enough. We'd also like to throw out a special thanks to Ironclad Tattoo Co. and PRTY Crew Collective for setting shop up for the night. And while we are saying thank yous, we have to thank everyone at Small's, our friends Becca Friedman, Vince Troia and Elyse Tomaszewski for all of their help, everyone that played and everyone that came out to show their support and party!

We hope that everyone that came out Saturday night had a great time! Hopefully you were able to check out a band or two that you haven't seen before too! You all really know how to make a couple of girls feel special and like they are doing something worth while. Thank you for reminding us why we do what we do. We'll see you all at a show or out and about around town soon!

~C

Win Tickets to See Retox with Nice Hooves and Child Bite

Justin Pearson is a musician, a writer, a bassist, and in my opinion, one of the most well spoken and well written people of his generation. He has played in some amazing and influential projects, including Swing Kids, The Locust, The Crimson Curse, Holy Molar, Head Wound City, Ground Unicorn Horn, Brain Tourniquet, All Leather and his most recent project, Retox. He has written two books, From the Graveyard of the Arousal Industry and How to Lose Friends and Irritate People and he owns and operates Three One G Records, which he founded in 1994.

I have been a fan of Mr. Pearson's since his days with The Locust. In fact, I rocked a Locust belt buckle with skinny jeans for years after seeing the band play a set in a hot and sweaty bar in Tampa, Florida. It's been really inspiring to follow his career and I am personally looking forward to watching him take the stage at The Magic Stick this Friday, February 27th. I am especially excited because the opening acts are as solid as the headliner. Child Bite, Whores, and Nice Hooves will be opening this show. This is one of the shows that you show up to early and stay for the long hall.  

Tickets are only $10 in advance and $12 at the door. We also had the opportunity to talk to Mr, Pearson and ask a few questions about his career, Retox, and his writing. We cannot thank Black Iris Booking enough. Thanks for bringing us this awesome lineup  and thanks for helping us connect with Justin!  Check out what he had to say and make sure to be at the Stick at 8 p.m. sharp!

HID- Who influenced you to start playing music? How old were you when you picked up your first instrument?

Justin Pearson- "I was aware of my interest in music as early as five years old. But it wasn’t 'til I met the Cramps when I was twelve that I realized I wanted to play music. I got my first bass at the age of fifteen, when I discovered Nomeansno."

HID- Where was the new record Beneath California recorded? How long did the process take? What song off the new album is your personal favorite?
Justin Pearson- "We tracked in San Diego with Ben Moore, and it was produced in Portland by Brent Asbury at Beta Patrol. There were breaks here and there but if all the studio time was compressed, it would come out to a couple weeks I suppose. As far as a personal fav, I would go with “Let’s Not Keep In Touch”."

HID- Why did you decide to release the new album on Epitaph Records? I have read that you are not a fan of a lot of the other bands on the label, is this true?
Justin Pearson- "I’ve been working with Epitaph since 2003, with The Locust, Some Girls, and now Retox. I’ll be honest, I am not a fan of the general roster of Epitaph. But I am really into Anti, which is who The Locust signed with and is a subsidiary of Epitaph. But I realized that both labels are technically the same and not only are they really good to the bands, but I love the people who work there, and they really are good to me and the projects I am part of. As for the bulk of the artists on the label, yes, my personal opinion is that it’s garbage. But there certainly are some gems among the pile… Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, The Blood Brothers."

HID- I love the video for "Without Money We'd All Be Rich", where was it filmed? How did you get those children to hang out with the spiders?
Justin Pearson- "The video was filmed by Dennis Bersales in the Philippians, where he lives. I believe one of the kids is related to Dennis and the others are homeless children from the community. But where it was filmed, there is a sort of “sport” where the spiders are used in fights against each other and then wager on the fights. There was a better explanation here: http://www.thefader.com/2015/02/10/spiders-fight-in-a-cemetery-for-retoxs-without-money-wed-all-be-rich-video."

HID- What inspired you to start writing books?
Justin Pearson- "Well, I started writing for various blogs, just documenting stories and things I was part of, and it somehow morphed into writing a book. I was encouraged by John Waters to do so and well, I suppose that did it for me. But I also just like to tell stories, and I think that over all, it’s another means of art, which I have to do, for myself, for my well being, or sanity."

HID- How do you write? What is your process?
Justin Pearson- "I write a few different ways. With the book stuff, it’s usually focusing on a story or stories. But I also do a good amount of lyric writing as well. With the lyrical stuff, it’s typically a general idea and the use of metaphors as well as a certain language, or style if you will, to create a story, but with the use of rhythm and percussion in consideration."

HID- So far you have released two books. Are there plans to release more in the future?
Justin Pearson- "There are a few ideas that I am trying to tackle, but I have just been extremely busy with other stuff I have on my plate. But yes, in due time, I am certain I will write more books. "

HID- Do you have an fond memories or horror stories from your past visits to Detroit?
Justin Pearson- "I have played some really great shows there in the past with The Locust, Retox, All Leather, and Some Girls. But also, just been able to hang out with cool people and friends from there. I have been to some “haunted” buildings there, which was amusing."

HID- What is your favorite Simpsons character and why?
Justin Pearson- "This is a hard one. While I would identify with Lisa, and her social politics and consciousness, I think I also appreciate Homer a lot as well. But I would like to avoid the specific question and just say that the subversiveness of the show is easily one of the best tools for modern society and easing change in ways that a lot of people may not even be aware of. It’s a brilliant show nonetheless."

He picked Lisa! Wow, I think I like him even more.

Thanks to our friends at Black Iris Booking, we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show! To enter, please send your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Retox in the subject. We will draw one lucky winner on Friday morning. See you at the show!

~S

RoboCop: The Musical Hits City Theatre this Weekend

The hilarious people at Go Comedy! Improv Theatre are putting on a show that we think a lot of you will be excited about. Remember that awesome movie RoboCop that takes place in Detroit? Well it's like that,but there's singing. And it is appropriately called RoboCop: The Musical.

RoboCop: The Musical will be taking over the City Theatre in Detroit starting this weekend thru March 1st. Check out the video below to see exactly what they have in store for you.

Tickets are $29.50 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster here. The show runs this weekend and next Thursday thru Saturday, February 26th thru March 1st. Showtimes are at 8 p.m. except for Sundays, which are at 6 p.m. There is also a bonus showing on Saturday the 28th at 5 p.m. For details and showtimes, click here. 

~C

Fusion Shows & Hip In Detroit Want You To See Flint Eastwood!!!

The Loving Touch is definitely the place to be on Saturday, February 28th. Fusion Shows is putting quite possibly one of the best shows of the year there that night.

We'll start things off by telling you that Flint Eastwood is playing. That right there should be reason enough to go. They have one of the best live shows out of any band or musician in the Detroit music scene. Their tunes are catchy, Jax knows how to take over a stage and a crowd, and the entire band is just awesome! Always a good time.  Plus, it has been a minute since they have played in Metro Detroit.

Joining Flint Eastwood is Tunde Olaniran, Valley Hush and Gosh Pith... Are you for real? Time to bust out your dancing shoes! Tunde is one of the few musicians that can compete with Flint Eastwood on who has a better show. It's pretty obvious by now that he is one of our favorite artists. Valley Hush is made up of Alex Kaye (Autumn Wolf) and Lianna Vanicelli (Phantasmagoria), so how could you really go wrong? From what we've heard so far, their music is amazing. Check it out for yourself here. And last, but definitely not least, is Gosh Pith. We fell in love with the Joshes when we met up with them a couple of months ago. Two awesome dudes making even awesomer music. Check them out here.

We honestly cannot rave enough about any of the acts on this show. Do yourself a favor and get to The Loving Touch on Saturday, the 28th! Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. and 18+ are welcome. You can pick your tickets up a head of time here for just $10, and since it's a Fusion Show it's fee free! Admission will be $12 at the door, but we're sure that it will sell out. So you already are going to want to get there early so you don't miss anyone on the bill, but you also should get there early so you can get in the door!

Since we are so excited for this show and really want you to go to it, we have teamed up with our friends at Fusion Shows to give away 2 pairs of tickets! To enter, just email your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Flint Eastwood in the subject line. We will be drawing 2 winners the day before the show and them and a friend will get in for FREE. Good luck!

~C

Win Tickets To See Restorations with Due North and Peach Pit

On Wednesday, February 25th Restorations will be passing through Detroit to pay a show with Due North and Peach Pit. They will all be playing at Detroit's newest club the UFO Factory. This new venue has been hosting some really great shows, they are a great edition to the Detroit music scene.  One of our favorite booking agents Virginia Benson a.k.a. Party Store Productions. is working with the venue and bringing some really great shows through its doors. She has even offered to let us give away two pairs of tickets for this event. She is one of the coolest boss bitches in town, to say the very least.  

To win tickets to this event, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Restorations in the subject. We will draw two winners the day of the show and send them details on how to claim their prize. The winners will also receive a copy of the Restorations' new album, which they will be able to pick up at the show. This is a great chance to catch some great tunes and check out the new space. 

UFO Factory is located at 2110 Trumbull. The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are only $10. 

~S

Get Your Fill of Whiskey at Whiskey Business

If you are a fan of Whiskey, the Royal Oak Farmers Market is the place to be this weekend. That's because it is time again for their recurring event called Whiskey Business.

Whiskey Business is for the true whiskey lover. It features over 100 different whiskeys all in one place, along with food and music. There are choices from big names like Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker and Crown Royal, but there are also local favorites like Two James Spirits. For a full list of whiskeys that will be available, click here.

Tickets for Whiskey Business are $50, which includes admission and 10 tasting tickets. If you finish all 10 drinks, you can always buy more drink tickets there. There are also designated driver tickets available (because let's be honest, you're going to need one) for $15. Tickets can be purchased in advance here. This event usually sells out, so it would probably be a good idea to pick your tickets up now if you want to go.

Whiskey Business takes place this Saturday, February 21st from 7:30 p.m. 'til 11 p.m. The Royal Oak Farmers Market is located at 316 E. 11 Mile Rd. in Royal Oak. For more information on Whiskey Business, click here.

~C

Win Tickets to Noir Night 2015

Have you ever seen a burlesque performance in person?  If you have, I do not have to tell you how beautiful and erotic it is. If you haven't, you need to got to a show and get familiar with this form of art and expression. If you're interested in attending your first show you can try to win tickets to see the International Black Burlesque Company perform this Saturday, February 21st in Detroit Michigan. This year's show will include performances by Bianca Coal, Candy Mac'N' Toos,  Essence Revealed and more. This show will titillate all of your senses. 

Tickets for the show are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite here. We also have one pair of tickets to give away to the show. To enter win tickets, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Noir Night in the subject. We will draw a winner the day before the show and email them details on how to claim their prize. Doors are set to open at 8:30 p.m and the show starts at 9 p.m. 21 and over are welcome to attend. The show will take place at Detroit's own Tangent Gallery located at 715 East Milwaukee in Detroit.

~S

The Scoop on the Prize Packs for the Hip In Detroit 3rd Anniversary Bash!!!

 Flyer by: Sean Farquhar

This Saturday Hip in Detroit will be taking over Small's in Hamtramck to celebrate our 3rd Birthday. We have a killer lineup that includes Snakewing, Zander Michigan, James Linck, Chris Jarvis, Her Dark Host, Radio Burns, and MPV (formerly My Pal Val). It's only $8 to get in and admission includes one raffle ticket. This raffle ticket will enter you to win one of 30 prize packs that we have put together for this year's bash. These prize packs are made up of items that were donated by some of Metro Detroit's coolest restaurants, companies, and of course, bands.

We have to admit that we are jealous that we can't win some of these things for ourselves. We wanted to dedicate a special post to all of the companies who supported us this year. We also wanted to take a second to tell you a little about all of the things that you can win if you come out and party with us.  The earlier you get there, the more chances you will have to win. We also let you choose which bag you want, so we give them out on a first win first pick basis!


Black Iris Booking
We have been working with Black Iris Booking since we started the website. They are kind enough to let us give out tickets to most of their shows. They also help us get some really interesting interviews with some of the better bands that pass through Michigan. Sarah and Ramona are two of the most amazing people in the Detroit music scene. This year they donated two gift cards that will be good for two passes to any of their shows between now and the end of July 2015. To keep up with Black Iris' shows, follow them on Facebook here.

The WAB
The W.A.B is located in downtown Ferndale. They are known for their brick oven pizzas and their house brewed beers. They were kind enough to donate a $50 gift card, the perfect amount for dinner and drinks with a friend!

Ironclad Tattoo
Ironclad Tattoo is one of our favorite tattoo and piercing companies in Metro Detroit! Sadie got her first tattoo there and we love the variety of body jewelry that they carry  They have sponsored all three of our anniversary parties and are really fun to party with! We look forward to throwing back a beer with our old friends! They donated three gift cards worth $60 a piece! 

Green Dot Stables 
Green Dot Stables is one of the best restaurants in Detroit. We love stopping in for a few sliders and a Moscow Mule. We also enjoy ordering the mystery meat, it's fun to try something new!  GDS was kind enough to donate a gift card to be raffled off!

Johnny Noodle King
We were so happy when this restaurant opened! Detroit needed a good ramen house and this place delivered. There is always something new and interesting to try. Johnny also donated a gift card to the prize packs this year.

Brightly Twisted
Brightly Twisted makes some of the most beautiful scarves and clothing that we have ever seen. We had the privilege of visiting their dye house this past year and fell in love with the owners and the merchandise. We have 6 prize packs that feature a one of a kind Brightly Twisted scarf this year. We cannot tell you how much we love our scarves, but we know if you're lucky enough to win one, that you will be smiling every time that you wear it.

1592
Every city needs a good reggae/rocksteady act, and here in Detroit that is 1592. They were kind enough to donate a few records and some merchandise for the prize packs. You can hear their music here. 

Handmade Detroit 
Handmade Detroit is Carey Gustafson, Amy Cronkite and Bethany Nixon. They are the force behind the Detroit Urban Craft Fair and all around amazing people. They donated a really cool hoodie and a few handmade items to our giveaway. Carey is also the owner of Glass Action!, the company behind my glass Michigan necklace that we featured in our last photos with Camera Jesus. They are some of the most talented D.I.Y ladies in Detroit.

The Emory 
The Emory serves up great food all week long, but lately everyone has been raving about their Sunday brunches. The Emory is located in the heart of downtown Ferndale. This year they donated a $50 gift card. Someone will be enjoying a very nice meal on the house! 

Rock & Roll Prep School 
Every single bag has a pass for a FREE lesson at Rock and Roll Prep School. No excuses, it's time to learn something new!

Live Nation Detroit
The ladies over at Live Nation are the best! They help use set up so many amazing giveaways and put great tickets directly into our readers hands every week. They donated a pair of tickets to see Taking Back Sunday when they come to The Fillmore on Wednesday, March 11th.

Jerry Spehar at AE Heating & Cooling
Jerry is a really cool guy who happens to work in heating and cooling. He donated two gift cards, one for Hopcat and one for Buddy's Pizza! If you happen to have any heating or cooling needs, call this guy! He's on our team!

InkAddict
This is not the first time that InkAddict has sponsored one of our shows, but this time they gave us more than ever! We have hats, t-shirts, stickers, socks, temporary tattoos, coasters and lots of other InkAddict swag in the bags this year. This lifestyle clothing brand is housed right here in Ferndale, Michigan. They sponsor a lot of the bands in town and are very supportive of all things hip. Check out their latest duds here.  

Lee Majors
Lee is by far one of the most supportive people of Detroit's music scene and also of Hip In Detroit. He works with a ton of great bands and was awesome enough to get music and merch from quite a few of them to us so we can pass it along to you! 

David Bierman Overdrive
David gave us a bunch of copies of his new album to put into the gift bags, You can hear the album here. 

Dirt Fest
Every August Dirt Fest takes over The Birch Run Expo Center and we head up to spend the day listening to music and getting a tan. One lucky person will get a pair of tickets to attend the 2015 show! The lineup hasn't been announced yet, but we can promise you that no matter who plays, you will have a good time!

The ILL Itches
The ILL Itches are one of our favorites! They even played our 2nd Anniversary Party last year. They donated quite a few copies of their latest 7". You can hear their tunes here. 

Rouge MakeUp & Nail Studio 
Rouge stole our hearts a few years ago when I got a gift certificate to get a pedicure. I fell in love with the beautiful space, the amazing treatment, and the great products. I even started using their skincare line Eve Organics to keep my face looking great. The ladies donated a $65 gift card for us to give away this year. We suggest that the winner book an appointment with Michelle for a deluxe pedicure. Trust me, you will not regret it!

LeVoyage
LeVoyage donated QUITE a few CDs to this year's gift packs. Great band, great dudes.  You can check out their tunes here.

Zander Michigan
Zander will be performing on Saturday night. He also contributed some CDs, t-shirts, and some cool bracelets to our prize packs. You can hear Zander's music here.

Metro 37 Recording Studios
37 Studios is located in Rochester Michigan. They have a great reputation and have recorded some great bands, including Chidos, Fordirelifesake, and The Swellers. They donated at $100 gift card towards studio time.

MI Imagery 
"MI Imagery is the combination of several different artistic passions. Photography, metal sculpture, laser cut art, and Michigan themed apparel." They donated two beautiful Michigan heart sculptures that would add character to any home. We wanted to keep one of these so bad, whoever wins them is going to be very happy!

Jett Plastic Recordings 
This may be the newer record label around town, but they are making quite a name for themselves! They have already released albums from The ILL Itches, Kenny Tudrick, Necros, Bootsey X, After Dark Amusement Park, The Audionics, and many more. Plus, this Record Store Day they are releasing the debut album from Macaulay Culkin's band The Pizza Underground. Jett Plastic was awesome enough to throw some of their releases our way to put into the prize packs.

MPV
MPV is not only plying Saturday night, but  they also donated four copies of their new 7" record and four copies of their new EP, In Lust We Trust, which isn't going to be released until March 3rd. You can get an early copy, but don't put that shit on the internet! We will find you and punch you if you do!

Incognito Eyewear
Incognito gave us two bags of sunglasses to include in our prize packs. We have always been fans of their shades, we even own quite a few pairs ourselves. To check out their latest designs and order yourself a pair, visit their website here.

Lost Highway
Lost Highway is an up and coming Michigan brand that makes one of a kind leather goods. I recently bought one of their purses from Saffron in Royal Oak that was handmade out of vintage leather. It is beautiful to say the very least. They donated a handmade red leather unisex wallet to the prize packs. The wallet was made out of the leather from the interior of an old Viper. It is gorgeous, this was another gift that it was hard to part with. We are jealous of whoever gets to take this one home on Saturday! You can follow LH on Instagram here.

Bill Grogan’s Goat
Bill Grogan's Goat is an awesome Celtic band that we're sure you have probably seen around town a time or two before. They always play on Parade Day, where they usually take over PJ's Lager House. This band dropped off a ton of merch, including CDs, shirts, hats, stickers, and even solo CDs from Gerard Smith. Head over and check out some of their tunes here. 

Saffron 
Saffron is one of the coolest clothing stores in Metro Detroit. I want to buy every item in the store every time I visit. I especially love all of the over-sized sweaters that they have been carrying this winter. They donated a $25 gift card to the prize packs. We highly recommend checking this place out if you haven't yet. 

Save Your Generation Records 
SYGR is a Michigan born record label that puts out some really great music, including Hawk and Son, The Most Dangerous Animal, Braidedveins, The Hand in the Ocean, and The Standouts. They donated all sorts of records and some really cool swag, including shot glasses, beer coozies, sunglasses and a t-shirt.

Tequila Cabresto
We love drinking Tequila Cabresto. This tequila is good tequila. It's easy to see how we became fast friends with the owners of this Detroit tequila brand. They donated some awesome baskets including bottles of Tequila (of course). Someone is going to be very happy when they win this one!

Prty Crew Collective 
PRTY Crew collective is a new lifestyle clothing brand that was created  right here in Michigan. It is owned by Mike Moore from Ironclad Tattoo, Ryan Fender, and Matt Puhy of Wilson. The brand is all about having a good time. They have some really cool designs and are just starting out. Check out their merchandise here. They were kind enough to donate a three $50 gift cards to the gift bags.  

Citizen Smile
We are so happy to help get some amazing Detroit music into your hands. This is another great band that was awesome enough to send over a ton of CDs. Head over and listen to some of their music here. 

Black the Salon
We had a great time visiting Black the Salon and doing a feature with Natasha Vranic. We also had a chance to interview the salon's owner Jeph Wright. The salon not only does a great job with hair, they also have their own hair product line which we love. They donated a $20 gift cards to each of the prize packs! They also informed us that they will be opening up a second location in Corktown in May! Every single person that wins on Saturday will get a gift card to check Black the Salon out! 

After Dark Amusement Park 
ADAP is an awesome band! They donated a couple of albums and a shirt to our prize packs this year. You can hear their sweet sounds here.

Snakewing 
Snakewing was cool enough to agree to play and to donate to the gift packs. They donated a $50 gift card to Ronin Sushi, a Snakewing candle, shirt, poster, CD, album, patch and sticker. The poster is one of the coolest things we have ever seen, kudos to whoever designed and printed that one!

Jess Haze at Todd's Room
Jess Haze is one of the most beautiful girls we have ever met and she is awesome on top of it. Not only does she always look amazing, but she makes others look amazing over at Todd's Room in Birmingham. We had a blast getting make up tips and tricks from her last year! She was awesome enough to donate two gift certificates, each good for three eyebrow shapings! Make sure you head over and check out some of her work here.


All of these great items mentioned above have been combined into 30 great gift bags that you will have a chance to win throughout the entire night! Doors for the show are at 8 p.m. this Saturday. It's 8 bucks to get in and Small's is located at 10339 Conant in Hamtrmack. Don't forget to head over and RSVP to the Facebook event here to see pictures of prizes and to stay in the loop about the bash!

~SC

See Single Mothers at The Magic Stick for FREE!

This Thursday, February 19th Single Mothers is kicking off their US tour at The Magic Stick right here in Detroit! The four piece from London, Ontario are heading out in support of their newest album Negative Qualities. Check out the video for their track "Half-Lit" off the album below.

Also on the bill for Thursday are Single Mothers' tour mates The Dirty Nil and Michigan's own The Most Dangerous Animal. Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased here. The day of the show they will go up to $13. Thanks to our good friends at Black Iris Booking we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show. To enter, email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Single Mothers in the subject. We will email our winner the morning of the show and let them know how to claim their prize. 

All ages are welcome to this show and doors will open at 8 p.m. For more details on this event click here. 

~C

Win Tickets to See The ILL Itches at UFO Factory!

A few weeks ago we said goodbye to our good friend Josh from The ILL Itches... wait, that sounds really bad. We did say goodbye, but only because he moved to Tokyo. Not the official goodbye forever, this post would be much different if that were the case. Well, although Josh is no longer in Detroit, that doesn't mean that the band he was a part of isn't still part of Detroit! The ILL Itches are in fact still a band and they don't plan on going away any time soon!

This Friday, February 20th you can see The ILL Itches at the UFO Factory for the first time ever. This is going to be a totally kick ass show because not only are The ILL Itches playing, but joining them are Tart, The Vonneguts and The Erers. A completely solid lineup. Although these bands travel in the same circle, this lineup has somehow never happened before.

To see these 4 great bands for yourself all you have to do is show up at UFO Factory on Friday at 9 p.m. with 5 bucks in hand! But, lucky for you, we are getting 2 people in to this show with a friend for free! So you can keep that $5 you would have used for cover and put it towards a drink or two. To enter this giveaway, just email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with The ILL Itches in the subject line. We will announce our two winners the day of the show and their names will be on the guest list with a +1. Good luck!

~C

Get Paczki Bombed at Small's this Tuesday!

Hamtramck is known for their Polish heritage, the city is full of amazing places to get authentic Polish food and sweets. Once a year the town is taken over in celebration of Fat Tuesday, better known here as Paczki Day. If you're not from the Midwest you might be asking yourself what is a Paczki.  A pączki is a deep-fried piece of dough filled with a sweet filling. Pączkis are usually covered with powdered sugar, icing or bits of dried orange zest. They hold more fat than a meal at McDonalds and if you have ever had one before, you know that they are worth every calorie.

Over the lat few years Small's has made itself the place to celebrate Paczki Day. They host live music throughout the day and are the creators of the famous Paczki Bomb. If you are not familiar with the Paczki Bomb, check out this video that we made the first time that we tried one. It's the sweetest way we can think of to get drunk and have some fun.

There is no cover to get in to Small's on Tuesday and they will have polish food to eat and deals on large cans of beer throughout the day. They will run out of Paczki Bombs pretty early, so make sure you get there as soon as possible to have an opportunity to try a bomb for yourself. Music starts at 4 p.m. and runs as follows:

4-4:45 p.m. Eastside Elvis & The Motor City Mafia (main)
4:45-5:15 p.m.: Captains of the Head (bar)
5:15-6 p.m.: Eastside Elvis & The Motor City Mafia (main)
6:30-7:30 p.m.: the Polka Floyd show (main)
7:30-8 p.m.: Captains of the Head (bar)
8:00-9 p.m.: the Polka Floyd show (main)

Small's is located at 10339 Conant St. in Hamtramck. Cheers! 

~S

Celebrate Hip in Detroit's 3rd Anniversary This Saturday!

Photo Credit: Joe Gall aka Camera Jesus

It's hard to believe that hipindetroit.com is turning three years old this week. When Christie Laabs and I started this blog, we didn't really know what we were getting into. All we knew is that we were sick of all the negative press that the city of Detroit was receiving and we wanted to change it. Over the last three years we have been able to get the word out about all of the great people, bands, restaurants, salons, businesses, and events around the Metro Detroit area. We have met so many people and have been turned on to so many new bands and places over the last three years. We are blown away by the loyalty of our fans, we really couldn't ask for more and we cannot thank you enough. We look forward to covering this city and all of the amazing people in it for another year, but first, it's time for all of us to get together this Saturday, February 21st to celebrate the past three years.  

This year's anniversary party will feature 7 bands for $8 dollars at 8 p.m. The lineup was meant to blow your mind. A lot of people book shows with bands that fit together, these bands don't quite fit together. The only thing that they have in common is that they play great music and have been an influential part of the local scene over this last year. They are bands that we have covered a lot and bands that we think all of you will fall in love with when you see them play live this week. This year's lineup features Snakewing, MPV (formally My Pal Val), James Linck, Radio Burns, Her Dark Host, Zander Michigan, and DJ Christopher Jarvis. To fit all of these acts into Small's we are going to have two stages, the regular one and one in the bar area. This will keep the night moving and allow us to give you more for your money.

We will also be giving away a lot of prizes throughout the night. This is how the giveaways will work, upon paying get into Small's you will be handed a ticket. You will take the ticket, write your name on the back, and put it into a bucket that will be located by our merch table. In between each band we will draw a few winners. Those winners will be asked to visit our booth to choose from one of about 30 bags that we have put together for you. This means that the earlier you come out to the show, the more chances you have to win. The earlier in the night that you win, the more prizes you will have to choose from. This year's prizes were donated from some of the coolest places in town, including: Black Iris Booking, The WAB, Ironclad Tattoo Co., Green Dot Stables, Johnny Noodle King, Brightly Twisted, 1592, Handmade Detroit, The Emory, Rock & Roll Prep School, Live Nation Detroit, Vile Company, The Fillmore, St. Andrew’s Hall, Jerry Spehar at AE Heating & Cooling, InkAddict, Lee Majors, David Bierman Overdrive, Dirt Fest, The ILL Itches, Rouge MakeUp & Nail Studio, LeVoyage, Zander Michigan, Metro 37 Recording Studios, MI Imagery, Jett Plastic Recordings, MPV, Incognito Eyewear, Lost Highway, Bill Grogan’s Goat, Saffron, Save Your Generation Records, Jess Haze at Todd's Room, Black The Salon, Snakewing, Ronin Sushi, Tequila Cabresto and PRTY Crew Collective.

We also teamed up with Uber to get you a free ride to or home from the party. All new users that use the code HipInDet3 will get $20 towards their first ride. We want you to come out and drink without worrying about how you will get home, and Uber is the perfect way to do that!

To stay in the loop on all of the details for this party, make sure you head over and RSVP to the Facebook event here. The party starts promptly at 8 p.m., the first prize winners will be called shortly after that. We cannot wait to see all of you there! Thanks for sticking with us over the last three years!

~S &C

See Ten Oscar Nominated Films at the DIA

The Oscars are just over a week away and, if you're anything like me, you probably haven't seen half of the films that are nominated. Some of them you may not have seen yet because you have no interest, others because you simply can't justify dishing out $10-$15 per movie. Well, there are also some films that are nominated for Oscars that you can't just head to your neighborhood theater to see. One of the categories that you probably haven't seen one film from is the Short Films, but don't worry, the DIA has you covered.

All this weekend as well as on Wednesday and Thursday, February 18th and 19th, the DIA is showing all of the Academy Award Nominated Short Films. Within the Short Film category there are animated and live action films. The DIA will be showing the films from both categories, with a short intermission between the two subcategories. This year's Animated Short Film Nominees are The Bigger Picture, The Dam Keeper, Feast, Me & My Moulton, and A Single Life. The list of Live Action Short Film Nominees includes Aya, Boogaloo and Graham, Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak), Parvaneh, and The Phone Call. To read a description of each of these films, click here.

Admission to see all 10 films is only $8.50 or $6.50 for students, seniors and DIA members. You can purchase your tickets at the box office or online here. The entire run time for the evening (including intermission) is 3 and 1/2 hours. Showtimes for this week are Friday, Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. and Sunday there are two showings, one at 1 p.m. and the other at 6 p.m.

The DIA Film Theatre is located at 5200 Woodward Avenue in Detroit. For more information on this event, click here.

~C

"Just Love" Release Show at The Old Miami

It's Friday the 13th and it's the day before Valentine's Day. Kind of an odd mix... love is in the air, but Jason might be hiding around the corner. Well, oddly enough, there is a show at The Old Miami that has equal parts of eerie and lovey.

Head to The Old Miami tonight for The Philter's album release party for their new album Just Love. We've been fans of this Detroit duo for a while now, so we are anxious to hear their newest creation. They leaked a preview of the album on bandcamp, and so far we like what we hear. Check out the title track for yourself below.

Joining The Philter for the evening are their good friends in Rogue Satellites and Real Ghosts. Admission is only $5 and the new record will be "cheap". The Old Miami is located at 3930 Cass Ave. in Detroit. For more info on this show, click here. 

~C