Sometimes I hoard my five star reviews like a leprechaun guards his gold. Well, I decided I was too…read morestingy with 333 Midland when I was writing a review of Playground Detroit and decided it had to be a four cause it isn't at the high 5 star standard set by Hatch Art and 333 Midland. Much to my surprise I had also ranked 333 Midland as four stars only seven months ago. Well, 333's Annex Gallery has really killed it in the interval since then. The bananas Sean Hages show of inflatable madness, the recent Mike Kelly curated show featuring friends Jeremy Harvey and Anna Van Schaap, the artist talk I attended awhile back... the Annex has kept on bringing the heat, sometimes with shows that don't even last a month with bands playing closing parties. Resident artist Michael Ross curates most of the shows I believe and is at least always around keeping an eye on things, possibly painting in his adjacent studio with Guided by Voices playing. His sharp as tacks mural now graces the Midland side of the Annex. In the numbers game 333 has gone from 4 stars to 5.

This last weekend was the second, of what will hopefully become the annual, BRU - Burgers, Wings…read moreand Beer Festival held at the Royal Oak Farmer's Market benefitting the Children's Leukemia Fund. The event was hosted by Bagger Dave's, Buffalo Wild Wings and Bell's Brewery and for $40 you got around 12 beer tokens and 5 food tickets to use sampling all different forms of instant gratification. Beginning at 7 pm and running until 11 on June 16th, I can only imagine what a huge success this was for CLF and the ROFM. Last year, on its first run, the event ran well but not nearly as well as this year. With a more organized 4 sided Bell's beer tent offering several brews unavailable outside of the actual brewery like Deb's Red, a Smoked Ale and a Sparkling Ale, patrons had more choices to sample and more taps to keep the lines ultra ultra short! There was plenty of bell's swag to go around and everyone got a gift bag at the end of the evening including a Bagger's pint glass and some killer Oberon posters. To top it off, our very own Yelp Ambassador, Annette, was there serving up some great Yelp swag too. Food this year was great again and provided by Bagger's and BW3's on a ticket per item basis. The food tables were on the second half of the venue so that you could just walk up and order what you liked from their menus, and hi-top tables were arranged in the center of the room to eat and mingle at. Whereas last year, servers had to carry trays while walking through the crowd, this year was so well organized that it should insure its return next year!! Live music played all night and two sets of Bell's bean bag toss were free for guests who felt like some sporting fun. Raffle tickets were sold throughout the night and the drawing was held at 10 pm to round out the festivities. All in all this was a great evening that benefitted an amazing cause and ran even better than last years event!! My only suggestion would be to add about 24 of those hi-top tables around the venue so more people had a place to stand and eat. Great Job CLF and ROFM!! Looking forward to the 2013 BRU Fest.

This is a really great festival, and the location at the Royal Oak Farmer's Market is great! It is…read morewell-organized. The food was okay - the burgers from Bagger Dave's were not hot. Also - the band was a little annoying - they played some strange (old) music that might have been better for an older crowd. A lot of the people at BRU seemed to be in their mid-20's to late-30's.

The St. Anne sausage festival is one of the best church festivals in Southeast Michigan. Thousands…read moreof people show up to sample the sausage kitchens and the amazing beer tent. They have plenty of carnival rides and games to keep the kids busy while you wander through the rest of the festival. They have a silent auction which has many items of interest. This year they added a twist by making the auction online. I think it was a hit. The festival is usually the third weekend in September. Put it down on the calendar, it's a great time!

The Mitten Movie Project was a really fun and different kind of movie going experience than I have…read moreever attended in the metro Detroit area. The next showing is April 7th and it's well worth the $10 (cash only!). In what will be a big Hollywood movement over the next couple of years in Detroit, the art that sprouts from scenes like this one will be the most exciting to follow, IMO. 10 or 12 really cool movies, when the budgets are this small and the film makers forced to get this creative, it gives you a whole new appreciation to the smaller nuances of movie making. Snippy was hilarious!!! **Note to the woman who was sitting behind me... you were not on your couch with your friend. It is TOTALLY inappropriate to talk in a movie theater and laugh at movies that weren't up to your standards of humor or drama,when you are disturbing other people watching the movie. It is abhorrent to do the same when you are in the theater with the film makers. Sorry everyone else. I had to get that off my chest.

A monthly mini-film festival dedicated to showcasing Michigan and particularly Detroit-area…read morefilmmaking, still going strong since 2006. No better place I know of to see, support, and be part of the local film community. Please go, and support local arts and filmmakers!

Located on Mack Avenue just north of Vernier Rd. GPDC is a smaller well-loved studio with 2 dance…read morerooms...one upstairs and one down with a third space just recently acquired a few doors down (on the corner of Hampton and Mack - those of you familiar with the area - it used to be a karate studio)...this has allowed for additional classes and expansion into acro classes for the students (as well as adult yoga and pilates classes!!!). This is one of the best dance studios around...if not THE best studio...they tend to focus more on proper technique rather than anything else. My children have been dancing at this studio for 7 years now and counting...the level of instruction is unparalleled. I happen to drive 45 min each way throughout the week...rain, sleet, snow...JUST SO MY CHILDREN CAN TRAIN AT GPDC. Have I looked closer to my home??? Yes...I truly have...but not one studio met my level of standards...not even close... GPDC recitals are every other year with the in-between years classes have a strong focus on technique rather than choreography. The recitals are incredible...like a NYC production...I HIGHLY advise seeing one of the performances (usually held in June at the Macomb Performing Arts Center) if you can make it out... your jaw will drop when you see these students on stage. There are different levels of training available - rec classes are available for the student wanting to take 1 or 2 classes...for the more intense dancers there are COMPANY classes available (auditions required)...company dancers focus on more difficult choreography and also do numerous competitions throughout the year. The age range of dancers at the studio are age 3 - adult with dance options of creative movement, tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern, Ballet (cecchetti & russian), acro, pilates, yoga, contemporary...the options are endless. I can't say enough about the staff at GPDC either... the teachers are incredible... each student receives individual instruction in class which helps each dancer improve and be the best that they can be... teachers are professional and the students all get along very well with one another... On another note, I have to address a negative comment i noticed on here....indicating that parents should have the right to skip practice or dance because they are paying for the class...and I do understand what the parent is saying; however, I don't agree. When you commit your child to a dance class it's a commitment that you make to the other students in the class as well as the studio. Students in class learn to work together and to dance together - choreography is designed around the number of students in the class, etc. and it's critical that all of the students be present at each and every class. When you have a student miss class it makes it difficult all the way around...the teacher has to get the student caught up...it's lost time in the next session "going over" what was missed... it can be frustrating for the other students, the instructor and definitely the child who missed! I do realize that things come up and sometimes unforeseen emergencies happen...but to claim you have the right to miss class simply because you are paying for it is wildly disrespectful to everyone involved.

Cowboy office, they have a very dark Accounting office. The price list was one, and the bill came…read morein 2 times more. And in November + more for the July classes, and maybe we will stop to walk to them... And when we asked where such a PRICE they advised us to get away from them... Grosse Pointe Dance Center - 20945 Mack Ave ...

Amazing this is my first visit to this Festival. Sunday evening and there is no parking for blocks…read more Find might have been a good time to visit on a Sunday evening :-) considering it's the last day and it only few hours remaining. Certainly didn't disappoint great entertainment. The spinach pie in baklava were excellent. Not real sure about the Oktoberfest beer go figure they were out of IPA

Great Greek festival with an army of super volunteers for a good cause! What's not to love?…read moreDelicious food, music and fun. Truly impressive how they pull it off and a welcome event every year...

I loved being a part of this project. One of my jobs was collecting rent, haha , What Im most loved…read morewas curating events, planning on how to hang art, read submissions, planning events making sure no one died or wandered in the uilding. I made so many good friends, met so many professional artists with amazing music and installation work , But the most effected aspect of this North End Studios community was all the art and artists that came together and created a place and a platform too collectively express and display their work as well as enjoy new events held here. Cofounder of NES with other members including Ashley Cook and Katie Craig Katie Hawley.

These scrappy kids know how to throw a party. Whether it's a spazz rock project by Sheefy McFly, a…read morepsych band with a drummer dressed as Gumby or a sauna party thrown by a guy from Finland, I always enjoy a North End Studios show. They got booted from their original spot on E. Grand Blvd. - the big ten-story citadel with the giant Technicolor waterfall down the side - by some paintball company that doesn't seem to have opened it's doors to the public yet, but if you ask me their new spot is better suited to what they're trying to do anyway. (For one thing they got a bit of heat in that MFer!) And this is coming from a guy who could have a kick ass sauna around the corner if they never moved. It IS a bit strange to me that they're still "North End Studios" when they're no located in the North End. So if you see Katie be sure and point that out to her. You're sure to get a defensive 10 minute rant about it. Cover is always $5 and half the time it seems like they forget to collect it. They really need to get on that, lest this spot go by the wayside like the last one. It's BYOB, though they had a bit of vodker and wine along with a great buffet of food at the Henri Yoki show. The freshly baked crackers and Asian almond dip were outstanding. Henri's prints were okay, and the idea of having guests put thumbtacks by the 5 favorite pieces was fun and democratic, but the sauna shack out back stole the show. I've never been in one before, and it was just what this winter-weary body ordered. I'm told it's just going to be some members only deal from here on out, but I'd pay to get my sweat on if they have another sauna night. That sauna is Big Pimpin'!

MoPop has become a summer tradition for me. Every July, I look forward to the last weekend filled…read morewith great music, food, and fun. MoPop is a boutique indie music festival on the gorgeous Detroit Riverfront. It started as a one day music festival for two years at Freedom Hill but rapidly grew and expanded into a weekend long festival on the Detroit River front and has been there for the last five years. The Detroit Riverfront is doing significant renovations this year and will no longer be able to accommodate large-scale events so next year MoPop will move to a new venue but will remain in Detroit and is rumored to move to Hart Plaza or Belle Isle. I've been the last three years and I always have a great time. They sell tickets in three phases. Phase one starts before the lineup is announced and is around $79 for weekend passes. Phase two starts after the lineup is announced and is around $100 for weekend passes. If you purchase tickets during phase three tickets are around $150 for weekend passes and close to $100 if you buy a ticket for only one day. So the earlier you purchase the better. There are also several locations where you can buy fee free tickets like Royal Oak Music Theatre and UHF. The first year I went, the lineup was incredible including Alt-J, Phantogram, Foster the People, The Arkells, Tyler the Creator, and Vance Joy. Acts in previous years have also included Brandon Flowers, Father John Misty, The Neighbourhood, Borns, City and Colour, M83, Modest Mouse, Glass Animals and more. The last couple years have had big headliners like Lizzo, Vampire Weekend, and Tame Impala but a lot of less well known acts throughout the weekend and seems like they used to book more big name bands. I've also noticed that it's become significantly more crowded this last year and it's harder to get a good spot in front of the stage. This last year they had 33,000 concert goers in attendance. There are two stages-a large main stage called the grand stage and a smaller stage to the right. There are no overlapping set times which is great so you don't have to decide who you want to see. I do wish the second stage was larger, or even as big as the grand stage as the acts are just as big as names and it's hard to scope out a good spot since crowds have grown over the past couple years. The festival itself is setup really nicely. There's lots of stuff to explore. There's an arcade area which is air conditioned in a tent and a good place to hit if there's rain. There's an artist market and shaded hammock area. There's a large selection in the merch tent. The waterfront has the big MoPop sign for photo ops and usually painted pianos are setup along the waterfront. They don't allow water to be brought in but you can bring in an empty water bottle and refill it at the front of the park at the refilling station for free. They have lots of food trucks like Hero vs Villain, Treat Dreams, and Shredderz. Food trucks are setup near lots of picnic tables in the front of the park and there are also plenty of tiki bars and restaurants setup near the stages as well. Food and drink vendors have included Imperial, Antihero, Hopcat, Slows, Voyager, Lover's Only, Sugarhouse, and Dark Horse. Island Noodles is one of my fave vendors here. There are also lots of freebies and samples set up in cute tiki bars from Patron, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Deep Eddy's, Stok Coffee and more. They had onsite parking this year (next year's venue will not). Parking was $40 VIP which is all that's advertised at the gate and actually puts you farther away and harder to get out. We bought parking online for $20 and it was close and we got out easily. The surges for Lyft/Uber we're insane coming out of the event-over $100 and stayed that way for over an hour so park if you can. In past years it's been very dusty at night but this year they added sand and gravel which really helped. Overall I love MoPop. I have seen some incredible shows here with great acoustics, lighting and effects. The atmosphere and food is great, there's a lot to do, and it's a well organized event. Can't wait to see who will be there next year.

It's a great little festival that could be greater with a few small tweaks…read more.. Mostly, the single water station they have isn't enough. They have one right by the front gate, but they absolutely need one near the two stages somewhere. Second, they need a center rail at the stages. I know it's a small festival but.. it's weird and sort of annoying to be at a festival that is without a center rail. A guy had a seizure during Bon Iver Saturday and he could have gotten help a lot sooner if they had a center rail. The food is great and the music is generally varied -- but this year had me worried with where Mo Pop's direction is going... they've always been looking for a younger demographic, but now it seems they want an audience of fourteen year olds, outside of the headliners, which were great (Bon Iver, The National). There were a ton of vegan options available for such a small festival -- I've been to a number of other festivals that were considerably larger and their options paled in comparison. What sucks is that there either aren't enough options for the number of people, or the trucks are too slow -- except Island Noodles. Those magnificent bastards are phenomenal. But, if you want to eat any time after 5:30 or so, expect to wait in line for easily 45min and miss a set. On top of that, if you get in when gates open, very few places have food prepared. I wanted to get my damn day drink on even and I was told by a stand that... they didn't have the 21+ wristbands, their syrup wasn't made for their drinks, and they didn't have blackberry lemonade. What? So you literally only had vodka and lemons? Dudes, let your vendors set up sooner. I'll go to Mo Pop every year regardless so long as I'm on Michigan because music festivals are a blast, but Mo Pop needs work... I'd love if they managed a third, smaller stage and made the festival three days long instead and made it have more of a true music festival experience in that way, but there are plenty of other kinks to work out first.