The Pride Project

For me, one of the most frustrating things to come out of the discussion about Motor City Pride moving to Hart Plaza from Ferndale was this leitmotif that Detroit is not as gay-friendly as Ferndale.  It's been mentioned in comments on Facebook (although the Motor City Pride page is pretty aggressive about removing excessively negative comments, a policy I have mixed feelings about) and covered in Between the Lines (be sure to read the comments).

Now I get where this perception comes from.  There have been widespread reports of homophobia in the African-American community in the past, and we've had several civic and community leaders make homophobic remarks over the years.  But let's compare apples to apples.

Ferndale is a community of 19,000 people covering 3.9 square miles.  Detroit is a city of 713,000 people covering 149 square miles.  But the greater downtown area, the area including the Central Business District, Corktown, the Midtown neighborhoods, Lafayette Park & adjacent areas, and Eastern Market, is roughly 16 square miles and approximately 40,000 residents. Essentially that's been my world (with the addition of the Villages and SW Detroit) and it's a better comp than the city as a whole.  And I've never lived anyplace more gay-friendly.

A little over three weeks ago this was rattling around in my brain, trying to figure out how to send the message that Detroit is actually an AWESOME place to live and be gay.  And maybe Motor City Pride moving downtown was an opportunity to show that.

The independent business community downtown is pretty tightly-knit, so I asked a couple friends if they were interested in doing a small sponsorship of Pride that we could bundle together.  And if they thought other business owners would be receptive to the idea.  It turns out they weren't just receptive, they were enthusiastic.

I could never in a million years have anticipated the positive response I received from every friend I approached.  And they approached friends too.  And in the three weeks since we started spreading the word, we've raised over $6500 from a whole slew of downtown independent merchants who are proud to be sponsors of Pride.

See the fact of the matter is, Detroit is the most welcoming city I've ever lived in - and I've been around.  Jim Geary, owner of the Woodbridge Pub, said it even better:

I think this is great for the city and a good public example of the diversity and tolerance that Detroit should be famous for. It is my experience, in the ten years I have lived here, that Detroiters are more tolerant in general, whether it be religion, race, sexual orientation or financial status, than anywhere else I have lived.

So anytime you hear someone say Detroit isn't welcoming to gays, why don't you straighten them out and mention the following list of businesses - the bars, restaurants and retailers who make Detroit as cool as it is - who put their money where their mouth is and jumped at the chance to welcome the regional gay community to Detroit.

I'll share more info about this when this little Downtown Pride Project is done.  I'm still approaching folks - these are just the people my friends and I knew personally who'd committed by last night.  If you don't see your favorite downtown spot on here, why not ask them about it? Hit me up at the email to the left, I'd love them to help roll out the gay welcome mat!

Party Chatter

There are nights that just reinforce everything you want to believe in.

The yard sale, while exciting and initially lucrative, was rained out in the early afternoon.  After communing with nature while packing up sopping wet housewares and subsequently making a donation to the greater enjoyment of thrift store shoppers in southeastern Michigan, I rejuvenated and made a stop back on West Canfield.

That Historic West Canfield block is one sexy street.  I like to be irritated with Midtown and the Neuvo Royal Oako agenda that just might be seeping in there, but sometimes you just can't deny when something works.  If you are not familiar with this block, check this out.

Among the many cool Detroiters I saw there, I ran into a relatively new acquaintance at this party, a guy who went to U of D High like I did (only a few years behind me), whom I've run into here or there.  He's active in the local political scene in his own ultra-current way, and a super smart and fun conversationalist.  Which is, of course, what one should expect from a U of D High grad.

It's been a long time since I've been so engaged in a conversation, especially when it is with someone who isn't pushing their own agenda (ie: me), wants to hear your thoughts and has great insights of his own.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention his fantastic girlfriend who is apparently a genius in her own right.  The three of us discussed topics ranging from Council by Districts, Kwame Kilpatrick's misuse of corruption, Detroit Declaration, suburban vs. city living, me, Charles Pugh's God complex, gay marriage, Rochelle Riley, the closet and politicians who are no way whatsoever possibly or even remotely same-sex oriented.  These things were attacked with gusto and energetically debated, in what may have been the most casual party-talk manner I've ever experienced.

I realized, as we were making our way out, that I didn't have to talk about a home improvement or a luxury vehicle or a mall shopping experience or a different city's advantages in the entire ninety-minute conversation, and we all left happy and, at least as far as I was concerned, excited about our next meetup. And I almost couldn't believe how much I appreciated that.

I enjoy making sweeping generalizations and I'm going to make one now: over and over I find that my encounters in this city are so different in attitude than the ones I have in our 'burbs.  As much as I want this city to rejuvenate, I want to be explicitly clear how much I really enjoy what we have going on right now.  That recent Palladium Boots Detroit Lives documentary captures one aspect of the city in a great way, but I sure wish I was talented enough to show the world the kind of night I had tonight.  I think we'd have thousands of great people wanting to move here.

A Weekend Recommendation, and my new Blog

If you are planning to attend what is possibly Detroit's funnest street fair, the Dally in the Alley, this weekend, then you are a smart cookie.  Not only is it super casual, super fun and super cool, it is also the fair with the largest number of gays - at least in my casual observance.

When I was first looking for the gay community in Detroit it was actually the Dally that gave me hope one actually existed.  I mean, as far as gays go it's no Market Days, but it's more diverse and way groovier.  A September afternoon dallying in Detroit is about as good as the street fair experience gets.

Now, while you are dilly-dallying around you should stop by all the yard sales that will be happening on Historic West Canfield.  That's just one block down from the fair.  You know, that one tree-lined block that is so jarring to drive down, not only because the cobblestones are intense but because the homes are all so beautifully preserved.  Several of those lovely households have grouped together to sell some stuff, and more importantly, I'm joining them.

Stop by West Canfield between Second and Third and see me!  That's right across the street from Bureau of Urban Living, City Bird, Motor City Brewing and Traffic Jam.  I will sell you some cut-rate vintage cool stuff including some Hugh leftovers.  There will be vintage housewares, dinnerware, some barware, tiki mugs, even a Heywood-Wakefield desk.  Plus the usual random extra household stuff that always ends up in these things.

I need to move stuff out because my time as an itinerant has revealed to me that I have a shopping problem.  With no more Mezzanine or Hugh as an excuse to scrounge unlikely sources for vintage coolness, it has become apparent that those businesses were only a means to an end.  My need to score great finds continues unabated, and in fact has intensified since I've become I'm a man of leisure.

That's good for the general public on two fronts - first of all, periodically (like this weekend) I'll need to unload the things I don't want to keep.  And secondly, it has inspired me to try out a new blog.

The new blog is called Joe's Addiction, and all it does is feed you a daily photo of one of my vintage finds.  They might be things I keep, they may end up online at some point, possibly they will be Christmas gifts.  Who knows?  I don't.

I only know that every morning at 7:30am Eastern time a new photo pops up.  It might be something amazing, or it might be kind of pedestrian.  It'll be a surprise, and that's always part of the thrill, right?  Think of it as your scheduled, watered-down shopping experience - a methadone clinic for your little vintage-loving heart. I hope you like it!
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I Went to a Marvelous Party

My first official public appearance on my return to Detroit was at a summer soirée thrown at the Hanging Gardens in Midtown.

The Hanging Gardens project, as you may have heard, was undertaken by a group of volunteers from Team Detroit who created a vertical garden on the walls of the burned-up-but-being-fixed-up Forest Arms apartment building. When I left town the kickoff had just taken place.  The overall impression was a lot of green bags hanging from the windows of a burned-out building, which wasn't actually very exciting yet.

A party at the Hanging Gardens, then, seemed like the best time to check out the progress, and the perfect time to make a return to Detroit society.  As it were.

I arrived at the party in a pissy mood, having just left a friendly but rather heated discussion with a local developer about the value of authenticity (or as it devolved, "douchebaggery" vs. "funkiness"), and then the passenger window in my long-suffering ride decided to get a little flakey.  I really, really was not in the mood to leave my car with the window open, as I am sure you can imagine, so I hastily remedied that and headed into the party.

With the flowers grown in and the Forest Arms wrapped around a cocktail party in full swing, my bad mood evaporated.  It was as if someone had gathered a couple dozen of my favorite Detroiters and put them into one surreal, uniquely Detroit setting.  Which come to think of it is exactly what happened.

Oh I could name names, but all you need to do is read any issue of Model D, or pick up a newspaper or watch a documentary and you'll have a pretty good idea who was there.  Detroit movers and (until they get a drink in them) shakers.  A wide array of old-timers and newcomers.  And a whole slew of Team Detroiters, the folks who set the whole thing in motion.  All people who get Detroit and the possibilities life here presents.

The party was Detroit summer perfection.  A beautiful night, a smattering of funky furniture, no shortage of gossip - I mean, conversation - and food and drinks borne of this local food movement that is so awesome I can hardly believe it is happening here.

We wandered through the building, my friends and I, checking out the rehab work and we ended up on the roof, where the party had partially migrated.

It's been a long time since I've had a more authentically Detroit moment than standing on the rooftop of an empty building with a drink in my hand, watching Robert M. Nelson tell one of his ribald jokes through a megaphone to an appreciative audience.

Oh Robert, what would Detroit 2010 be without you?

I can't lie, in the chaos of wrapping up my loose ends in May I had my doubts about the merits of this project.  Seeing it in full bloom, this almost formal flower garden set against the reversal of a ruin, I now find it to be an interesting foil to the whole "nature reclaiming the city" meme.  And of course, it really is quite beautiful.  It's a great example of what some creative thinking can do to mitigate what might otherwise stand as a symbol of loss, rehabilitation notwithstanding.

If you happen to find yourself near the intersection of Forest and Second, take a few moments to walk around and enjoy the Hanging Gardens.  Like most cool things in Detroit, it won't be long before the moment is over.

I am, naturally, very grateful my homecoming coincided with such a unique experience at the Hanging Gardens; it reinforced everything I'd gleaned from my travels, and everything I was discussing just before the party. If I were Noel Coward I would write a clever little song to sum up the evening, but I'm not.  So all I can say is this: I couldn't have liked it more.
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Favorite Macho City Moments

There certainly were a lot of colorful Macho City moments in our ticket giveaway contest! Thank you to everyone who entered for sharing their real or imagined experiences.

My favorite Macho City moment (of many highlights) is probably the Nancy Fortune night. Mike and Scott had been playing an unusually amazing selection of underground disco that I had not heard before, but that was so immediately likeable that it felt like a series of forgotten favorites. It had such a consistent good disco vibe you could not help but feel elevated.

The crowd was eclectic that night, including a good number of leathermen, some super cool straight folks, and a broad range of ages of us regular gay folks. The visuals were ultra-cool. As an added bonus there were no serious smokers on the dancefloor. It was all just so ... happy.

[As an aside: Not to pick on one group in particular, but there has been a serious rash of girls smoking on the dancefloor at Macho City that is giving me a serious rash. Ladies please, look around. Do you see the gay boys smoking on the dancefloor? No, they do it in the bar area like God intended. Even my friend Chris who can only breathe through a cigarette when he is at the bar abstains. Take note.]

So all is well at Macho City that night, and about 1am Nancy Fortune comes on. The transition to her music was, frankly, jarring, and I was like, "oh well, it was fun while it lasted." But then she got things really rolling (or more likely, my brain adjusted) and suddently there was this fantastic electro/dance/house mix of music - one that rivaled the mastery of the earlier disco mix - that took me back to my after-hours clubbing heyday. You know that feeling you get when you are standing there and the whole world around you is so perfect and you are brimming with joy? Yeah, that. That night wasn't just a Macho City highlight, it was a highlight of my summer.

Now back to the contest. Before I announce the winners I want to address some of the comments.

First of all, to the comments saying people posting about lurid activity at the R&R are missing the point of Macho City (some were deleted by their author), I feel compelled to say ... do we need to be this way in 2009? First off, Macho City can be about so many things. Maybe it is about the music, maybe it is about the people, and maybe it's about the setting. In my opinion having Macho City at the R&R - a place that is a safe space for a niche in the gay community (I sound like a lesbian feminist with that language) - sets a tone that you are free to enjoy the night however you want. Maybe Macho City provides a more comfortable way for attendees to get a little dirty in their lives, I see nothing wrong with that.

It's important to remember that we are guests there, and Macho City is supposed to be enhanced by its setting, and in turn enhance the R&R for one night a month. It's the combination that really makes Macho City so special. Arriving at the R&R and then judging the activity (or people's appreciation of activity) is perhaps an unfair approach. I hope that the regulars at the R&R like having the Macho City crowd once a month and continue to show up, and I hope MC attendees can be chill about anything besides dancing and drinking that may or may not go on.

Taking that one step further, as a community we make no progress if we cannot embrace all colors of the gay rainbow. We don't need to be mainstream to deserve marriage equality or protection from discrimination. It's the non-mainstream parts of the gay world that have been on the front lines, and who make being gay so very interesting! You don't need to partake, just accept.

Secondly, there was a comment about Buju Banton being booked at the Majestic and how we should boycott anything there. I am not a huge fan of boycotting locally-owned businesses or gay-led cultural phenomena, particularly in a recession, because often people just need to be educated about their offenses. But in this instance I think the Majestic has paid attention to concerns. Another comment addresses those:

For the record, the Majestic cancelled the Buju Banto show more than a week ago. They will have to eat the $8,500 guarantee. They are the only independent booker in the country that has flat out refused his performance. The Majestic had no clue about Buju's homophobic song (that he wrote 20 years ago at the age of 16 which he has since apologized for) and once they were aware of said song they immediately cancelled the show. The Majestic are very much accepting of all lifestyles. I am gay and have worked for the Majestic many times over the years. They currently have at least 5 gay employees that I personally know of.

I hope this news assuages any concerns people have about going tonight, because Black Devil Disco Club Macho City will be epic! And congratulations to randomly-selected winners Sparky, Darren, b, Phil, Thomas and Joseph, y'all are getting in free tonight! Your names will be at the door!

Have a great Macho City!

[Hey Sparky, email me at supergaydetroit@gmail.com to confirm your ticket!]
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Do it in denim.

Well in keeping with the theme of leather & levis for the weekend, there is one more event I want to give you a heads-up about! It is Design for Life: Denim, a benefit for the Michigan AIDS Coalition Saturday night at MoCAD.

"Design for Life: Denim, what's that about?" I can hear you asking. Well, the Michigan AIDS Coalition has put together an event that is a fashion and art experience. 100 creative individuals (designers, chefs, artists, architects, musicians ... you get the idea) were given Carhartt denim jackets as raw material and instructed to make custom designs with them. It could be fashion. It could be art. It could be fashionable art. It could be artistic fashion.

It might just be easier to post some images that will give you an idea of the evening. It looks actually tremendously fabulous!

Your emcee: Ongina from RuPaul's Drag Race!

Aural ambience provided by DethLab.

Detroit Flyhouse might drop in.

Jacket design by David McNight of Emerald City Designs.

Jacket design by graffiti artiste Tony "Shades" Agee.

Weathered red denim bag by Barrett Streu.

Popart Monkey Pillow by Megan Oxley.

FIERCE ART #1: Rusty Bird Cage with Wings, by Bill Bowen of Octane Design.

FIERCE ART #2: Reliquary of C. Hartt. It contains the ashes of the jacket. Awesome.

The event will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2009 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MoCAD). Hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar are involved. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by contacting Robert Thomas, 248-545-1435, ext. 105 or rthomas@aidsprevention.org. Still waiting to hear if they can be purchased at the door, although I can't imagine you'd be turned away!

Douchebags invade downtown

I just want to know where the normal people downtown have gone tonight. It's like douchebag central down here.

Left work late and headed to the bar at Atlas Global Bistro for eats where I witnessed a drunk woman wearing an unfortunately sleeveless top talk at the top of her lungs about all the racial and economic injustice in America.

To make matters worse she irritated the older guy next to her who was a bona fide asshole (apparently he owns the shop in Eastern Market that sells all the giant ceramic pots) and he kept antagonizing her. "Let's settle this by who spends more here." Seriously?

Not to be outdone, he exited by making this parting comment, "She just wants some black dick" (because she was a white woman and was with a black man). The most annoying woman in the world had my sympathy by the time he left. At least until she spent the next fifteen minutes bitching about him and crying. She was overserved.

Fortunately that all distracted me from the first part of the evening and the dude who lived at 32 Mile Road and friends next to me clamoring to get the Wings game on television. Their big nights out usually include Fishbones in St. Claire Shores but they'd ventured downtown for the Wings. Their conversations were beyond boring and their clothes even worse. Mock turtlenecks, anyone?

Fortunately some friends came to meet me for a while so I was able to pass the time reasonably well, but when they were ready to leave I had to move on.

Went to the Park Bar as a reflexive action. Loved that the super cute guy from the band Shoe was bartending, but could not deal with the total douchebaggery that surrounded half the bar. I'm talking fake-n-bake girls with dark eyeliner and chunky hightlights, and guys with gold chains smoking cigars. WTF?

Obviously that wasn't going to work. So I paid the cover to head into Cliff Bell's next door, because that is always such a good scene. Surprise? More douchebags and only a handful of the good folks. I plugged in to blog this and some dude with a backward baseball cap actually tried to surreptitiously take my picture! I think it was the 'stache.

Turnabout is fair play.

I don't know where everyone cool is tonight, it's kind of a disaster. Maybe I will head to D'Mongo's for last-ditch coolness. At least tomorrow night at Cirque there will be fun. I hope.

The FJC always does a good job of being cool. And classy. Ish.

Well Hello!

Hey what's going on?

Listen, I'm still completely swamped with real world work. It will be four weeks without a day off by the time things (hopefully) let up. I hate a down economy, you have to work so hard.

In the meantime there are a few random things I would enjoy addressing with you, things that could be addressed in bigger, more comprehensive posts. But sometimes it's just good to clear out the backlog.

The Terrorists Won
I got my car back from its latest repair and I got a Club.


Gayer Than Ever Before
The Dirty Show is going on right now and it has a ton of gay stuff in it this year. Like, super high calibre gay erotic art. Here's an excerpt from the email I got from Jerry Vile, the creator of the Dirty Show.

[We have] the the lovely work of Michael Breyette, funny and clever work spins by Harald Seiwart, gone too far imagination of Marc DeBauch, the disturbing hardcore of Bruce LaBruce and the premiere of Clive Barker's erotic photos (I think he has pretty much redefined beefcake, and has taken the male nude to some place we have not seen before). There are a few local artists as well -- we have more gay art than ever before in our history .... So if your readers like cock, you may let them know we have plenty of sweet juicy cocks all over the place - we aren't a few talking inches here - you'll need a yardstick.

Now I missed the boat on telling you about this before the opening last Friday, but the show is still on this Friday and Saturday. A few years ago I went with my friend Laurita Guarita Los Angeles Jara Perez and we had a filthy charicature drawn of me banging her (what else?) doggy style, which she kept on her fridge for an uncomfortably long time.

So if you want to see yards and yards of cock (plus some great people watching) I definitely recommend a stop by the Dirty Show. It's at Bert's Warehouse Theater in Eastern Market this Friday and Saturday.


Closings
So Zaccaro's Market in Midtown announced their closing today. Even though they were a bit expensive they were a convenient stop for some nicer grocery-type items, and I will miss them. After I take advantage of their 20% off clearance sale.


Business As Usual
Cutting up to Cafe 1923 on McDougall today I passed some kind of resale/fencing operation and saw somebody loading one of those Grosse Pointe art frogs into their car. It's not so much the weirdness of seeing a questionable operation on the near East Side, but the fact that someone actually swiped one of those stupid frogs, and that someone else wanted one.


Of course it could have been a fully legit repair operation too. Surrounded by burned-out houses.

I Love the Theatahhhh!
University of Detroit-Mercy's Theater Company is putting on a show! "Speech and Debate" is a play is about misfit teens, two dealing with their sexuality through the speech and debate club they are trying to form - all the while exploring the drama of a scandal in their high school.


This touching comedy runs through this weekend, so check it out early and often! Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 and $13, with students only $9 and UDM and Marygrove students only $5. The performances are held at the Marygrove College Theatre, 8425 W. McNichols Rd, Detroit, MI 48221.

It's great to see some gay-themed work being presented at our fine Catholic institutions of higher learning. A good turnout can insure more creative gay-friendly content in the future!

Gotta Nickel?
So I have been obsessed with the gay mustache for a while now, ever since wallowing in 70s nostalgia early last summer. Not the hipster handlebar mustache, but the gay stays-on-the-upper-lip mustache.

When Milk was released with James Franco looking sexy with a 'stache I became even more obsessed. And then the New York Times weighed in in the Thursday Styles a few weeks ago, ironically right at the time I had started growing my beard just so I could save the mustache for a bit when I shaved it off to see how it looks.


Well anyway, during the growing-in period I decided that I wanted to help bring back the gay mustache, so for late winter/spring I am sporting one proudly. I have to say so far the reception has been mostly positive, it's about 75/25 wants-to-make-out vs. shave-that-off-now. We'll see how it goes.

What the ... ?

OK, it's either bizarro Detroit or someone somewhere read a magazine article about the buying power of gays, because there are two random gay nights on the horizon here.

Firstly and most promising, there is a huge drag show at the Majestic tonight! The Majestic Divas Present A Winter Wonderland! It is a show featuring Detroit's finest drag queens in an evening of female impersonation, comedy, dancing and more! In other words, a full on drag extravaganza!


While I might be skeptical of an event like this at the Majestic, which is one of the straighter venues in town overall, the list of performers leads me to believe this will be a really great night. Electra Lites, DeAngela "Show" Shannon, S'myra Skye Banks, Hershae Chocolatae, Cece Daniels, Tianna Rumbous, Misty Harrington and Gayla Grace.

From the queens I am familiar with in here and the names of the rest, I am betting on a performance from Detroit's premiere black queens, and that means realness and talent! I will see you there - a $10 cover is a steal!

Now in an interesting alternate, um, universe, the Hard Rock Cafe is starting a gay night. There are so many things wrong with that I can't even being to recount them. But I will point out two.

First of all, it's the Hard Rock Cafe. I don't know if anyone noticed, but "rock and roll" and "gay" don't really go hand in hand. Rock people don't really like gay, and gays don't really like rock.

Secondly, the Guerrilla Gay Bar that was held at the Hard Rock was successful but the separation between the regular clientele of the Hard Rock and the gay guerrillas was distinct and glaring.



But ok, so here it is. Each Sunday there will be Rockin' Out Detroit, a differently-themed gay night at Hard Rock! And the cover is only $10 (which includes a drink ticket)! This week's theme, 80's night. Because white people love an 80's night. I am going out on a limb and presume they won't do it quite like hipster Fierce Hot Mess or Sass does 80's.

I guess, you know, good for them? All I know is between Doggy Style every week and a bi-monthly Fierce Hot Mess my gay ad-hoc social calendar is pretty exhausting.

So it may be weird that so many straight places are putting out feelers for the gay dollar, it is nice that it's all happening downtown! Too bad they don't know there are only 14 of us down here!

I love to try to do it all, but I'm realistic about my ability now that I'm getting so very old. But I'll tell you this: I can always make time for a drag show, so I hope to see you tonight!

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Shopping Gay

The great thing about being gay is that everyone thinks you have an elevated aesthetic sense and refined tastes. And while that may occasionally be true, the bad part is that people assume it is just because you are gay. And that leads to things like a recent encounter I had with a young woman I was introduced to who, upon finding out I am gay, said, "Oh my God I would love to go shopping with you!"

Oh how fun for me.

The real deal isn't that the gays automaticaly have great taste, it's that we pay attention and we care. It's all learned. And that means that everybody can have great taste! In the immortal words of style icon Brenda Dickson, "Fashion is something that can be acquired. And you too, be it male or female, can be very fashionable."

This time of year the concern is less fashion and more fashionable gift-giving, and so while I sit here watching the snow swirl around my Mies building, listening to Barbra's A Christmas Album and burning my Ralph Lauren "Holiday" candle (gay gay gay), I'm going to point out two great Detroit shops that are not only gay-calibre shopping destinations in the city, but also "best in show" for the entire SEMi region.

Mezzanine
206 E. Grand River, 2nd Floor, in the Merchant's Apparel Building

Second-floor retail may seem counter-intuitive, but in Detroit none of the usual rules apply. It works to the advantage for Mezzanine, which is a high-end modern design store. The space is basically a loft space in a historic building near the Detroit Opera House, Small Plates and the new YMCA, and the overall look of the store is pretty much minimal gallery-esque with an absolutely fabulous view of downtown.

Even though it is home to the $4000 sofa, they also have a lot of gifts and home accessories at lower price points. There were things from $7 up when I was looking around the other day. They carry a curated selection of merchandise and feature the big names like Jonathan Adler, Alessi and Rosenthal as well as a lot of lesser-known lines and some vintage modern items as well. I would describe the aesthetic as northern European modern.

Finding Mezzanine is a little tricky the first time - you have to look up for the window signs, or just cool lighting. If you go to the corner of Broadway and E. Grand River, the entrance to the building is on GR. You ring for the elevator and an elevator attendant comes down and brings you up in the old manually-operated elevator. It's a totally "downtown" experience. Oh, and it's owned by a 'mo.

Here are some gift items I thought were great:

These vellum wine garlands are my new hostess gift.

Jonathan Adler scented candles and frames in tasteful white porcelain.

This is the pitcher/vase I have always loved at Eve the Restaurant in A2.

These little porcelain figures were so effin' cute, I want that nativity scene so
I can celebrate my lapsed Christianity with irony.

Bureau of Urban Living
460 West Canfield Street, in the Canfield Lofts


Bureau of Urban Living is the great little home store everyone wants in their neighborhood, so if you live in Midtown you have totally scored. Bureau is full of great modern accessories for the home and office, with an eye on fun-but-tasteful design and affordability.

Bureau is designy in a way that is clearly put together by a graphic designer. It's like a nice neutral graphic background of a store with lots of great color and groupings for wow factor. Bureau is a tiny little store but is packed full of great things. I love the simple homewares - my wastebaskets, napkins and candles all come from their, and I often get gifts for my nieces there as well! Bureau is a good place for gifts for girls, by the way!

Bureau could not be easier to find. It is on the ground floor of the Canfield Lofts, just west of Cass Avenue. They have a lovely red sign out front, and they are next to Motor City Brewing Works and across the street from the Traffic Jam and Snug.

Here are some fun things I saw in there yesterday:

The now-famous "Keep Calm and Carry On" Detroit-style: on a t-shirt. (Posters also available!)

I just adored this grouping.

Some of the great textile items by local artist Carl Oxley III!

Especially for this weather!

If these places are good enough for the discerning homosexualists of the world then they are good enough for those of you who aspire to good taste - and now you don't need us to shop with you! So do yourself a favor - patronize two great Detroit stores AND get better gifts than you will anyplace else!

Both stores are open with extended holiday hours through Tuesday, so get to steppin'! You can thank me later.

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Don't Stop Believin'

This was another weekend of Halloween party awesomeness, this time with the MoCAD Believin' party!

Not to belabor details, but since it was on Halloween night the New Wave Committee thought they'd maybe get 500 people. Instead? 1000 people showed up (an exciting fact only mitigated by an overwhelmed bar). Only a handful of people didn't show up in costume, and the costumes were tremendous! You go hipsters!

The music was a great Dorkwave vibe, the decor so cool. Since I was the emcee for the evening (it's a living) I'll just give you some photographic super gay highlights instead of bogging things down with prose. Good job MoCAD!

The trash monster was awesome when he danced!

Big bats and bubbles.

Well, here's what happened to her.

Clearly inspired by this blog.

Have you a little fairy in your home?

It takes a village of dj's.

You have to admit, this is not a costume the hoi polloi would appreciate. Well done!

Something for the ladies.

It's not real. I checked. *sigh*

With a Z!

Making it work!

Nothing gay about this except how cute I thought this boy was.

Yay!!

Winners of Funniest Costume - the Ren Cen was amazing!

The view of an awesome party from the stage.