Strait Journal https://straitjournal.com/ A Detroit culture publication anchored by music. Owned and edited in Detroit. en-us Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:33:53 +0000 We started a journal https://straitjournal.com/we-started-a-journal.html https://straitjournal.com/we-started-a-journal.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Shawn I started writing about Detroit in 2024. So did several other people, in their own places: Substacks, group chats, pieces published in places that don't exist anymore. City News strait-journal editor-note launch MOCAD reopens, renamed, rewindowed https://straitjournal.com/mocad-reopens-renamed-rewindowed.html https://straitjournal.com/mocad-reopens-renamed-rewindowed.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Samantha MOCAD reopens Saturday after eight months of renovation. The 4454 Woodward building, a former auto dealership designed by Albert Kahn, has been the museum's home for the entirety of its 20 years. Arts News mocad midtown contemporary-art ply-plus julia-reyes-taubman Carole Harris comes back to where She started https://straitjournal.com/carole-harris-comes-back-where-started.html https://straitjournal.com/carole-harris-comes-back-where-started.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Marcus The first solo show Carole Harris ever had was at Gallery 7, the Detroit space Charles McGee ran from 1969 to 1979 to give Black Detroit artists somewhere to exhibit. Arts Profile carole-harris mocad fiber-art midtown gallery-7 Bar Chenin became Michigan's only James Beard award finalist on March 31 https://straitjournal.com/bar-chenin-became-michigans-only-james-beard-award-finalist.html https://straitjournal.com/bar-chenin-became-michigans-only-james-beard-award-finalist.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Samantha The James Beard Foundation announced its 2026 finalists on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Music News downtown bar-chenin james-beard natural-wine siren-hotel Sunda lands a fifth restaurant in the district Detroit https://straitjournal.com/sunda-lands-fifth-restaurant-district-detroit.html https://straitjournal.com/sunda-lands-fifth-restaurant-district-detroit.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Samantha Billy Dec is honest about the bet. He has framed Sunda's Detroit room as a step outside the brand's familiar model and called it an exciting risk that is still a risk. Eats Review downtown district-detroit pan-asian billy-dec restaurant-openings Hamtramck Blowout 2026 dropped the wristband back to twenty bucks and pulled in 130 acts https://straitjournal.com/hamtramck-blowout-2026-dropped-wristband-back-twenty-bucks.html https://straitjournal.com/hamtramck-blowout-2026-dropped-wristband-back-twenty-bucks.html Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Samantha The 2025 Blowout sold 220 acts across 25 venues with a thirty-five-dollar wristband. Music Review hamtramck hamtramck-blowout indie-rock local-music Hamtramck joins Michigan Main Street and the Jos. Campau bet gets bigger https://straitjournal.com/hamtramck-joins-michigan-main-street-jos-campau-bet-gets.html https://straitjournal.com/hamtramck-joins-michigan-main-street-jos-campau-bet-gets.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Priya Governor Whitmer announced on March 3 that Hamtramck has been selected by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for the Select Level of the Michigan Main Street program. Community Spotlight hamtramck jos-campau michigan-main-street downtown-development immigrant-businesses Jeff Mills announced another album before the last one was cold https://straitjournal.com/jeff-mills-announced-another-album.html https://straitjournal.com/jeff-mills-announced-another-album.html Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Marcus Jeff Mills and Jean-Phi Dary announced a new Tomorrow Comes The Harvest album in February 2026. It is called Forbidden Planet. Music News jeff-mills jean-phi-dary tomorrow-comes-the-harvest axis-records tony-allen DJ Minx signed to Rekids https://straitjournal.com/dj-minx-signed-rekids.html https://straitjournal.com/dj-minx-signed-rekids.html Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Priya DJ Minx signed to Rekids in early 2026 and released the Energy EP in February. The title track features Kendra Foster. Music News dj-minx rekids radio-slave kendra-foster women-on-wax label-signing Tec-Troit is moving to June https://straitjournal.com/tec-troit-moving-june.html https://straitjournal.com/tec-troit-moving-june.html Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Marcus Tec-Troit announced in early 2026 that the festival is moving from August to June for the 2026 edition. Music News tec-troit festival-format movement-festival date-shift Antidote opens at the Detroit edge of Grosse Pointe Park https://straitjournal.com/antidote-opens-detroit-edge-grosse-pointe-park.html https://straitjournal.com/antidote-opens-detroit-edge-grosse-pointe-park.html Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Samantha Nya Marshall opened her first restaurant, Ivy Kitchen + Cocktails, in East Village in December 2019. She bought the building a decade ago when there was effectively nothing on that block. Eats News jefferson-chalmers spanish nya-marshall restaurant-openings east-jefferson Medusa opens anthony Lombardo's Sicilian restaurant a block from SheWolf https://straitjournal.com/medusa-opens-anthony-lombardos-sicilian-restaurant-block.html https://straitjournal.com/medusa-opens-anthony-lombardos-sicilian-restaurant-block.html Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Samantha Selden Street between Second and Third is Anthony Lombardo's block now. Eats Review midtown sicilian anthony-lombardo selden-street restaurant-openings GM moves global HQ to hudson's Detroit https://straitjournal.com/gm-moves-global-hq-hudsons-detroit.html https://straitjournal.com/gm-moves-global-hq-hudsons-detroit.html Mon, 12 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Samantha General Motors began moving its global headquarters into Hudson's Detroit on January 12, 2026, ending a roughly three-decade run inside the Renaissance Center. City News downtown hudsons-detroit gm renaissance-center mixed-use Castalia served its last drinks on New year's eve and closed with the afterlife menu https://straitjournal.com/castalia-served-last-drinks-new-years-eve-closed-afterlife.html https://straitjournal.com/castalia-served-last-drinks-new-years-eve-closed-afterlife.html Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000 Jamie Castalia served its last drinks on December 31, 2025, eight years after Kevin Peterson and Jane Larson opened it in the lower level of an 1890s Victorian on Second Avenue. Music Legacy midtown castalia cocktail-bar kevin-peterson sfumato Street Beet finally gets a Corktown address with its name on it https://straitjournal.com/street-beet-finally-gets-corktown-address-name.html https://straitjournal.com/street-beet-finally-gets-corktown-address-name.html Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000 Samantha The pop-up has been Detroit's most ambitious vegan operation for seven years. McDaddy's. Taco Hell. The plant-based versions of the things you actually want to eat at one a.m. Eats Review corktown vegan pop-up comfort-food restaurant-openings Jeff Mills put out the Liquid Room record again for its 30th anniversary https://straitjournal.com/jeff-mills-liquid-room-30th-anniversary.html https://straitjournal.com/jeff-mills-liquid-room-30th-anniversary.html Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000 Marcus Jeff Mills released i9 (2025 Version) on July 18, 2025, marking 30 years since his Live at Liquid Room Tokyo session. Music News jeff-mills axis-records liquid-room anniversary-release tokyo Kyle Hall dropped four albums in nine months https://straitjournal.com/kyle-hall-dropped-four-albums-nine-months.html https://straitjournal.com/kyle-hall-dropped-four-albums-nine-months.html Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000 Marcus Kyle Hall released four full-length records between May 2025 and January 2026, all on his label Forget The Clock. Music News kyle-hall forget-the-clock album-release detroit-house prolific-run Five Wayne State alumni open Rahha inside the Hannan Center https://straitjournal.com/five-wayne-state-alumni-open-rahha-inside-hannan-center.html https://straitjournal.com/five-wayne-state-alumni-open-rahha-inside-hannan-center.html Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000 Priya Rahha translates loosely from Arabic as comfort, peace of mind, the feeling of finally putting something down. The five founders chose it deliberately. Eats Profile midtown yemeni halal rahha restaurant-openings Saksey's opened off parker's Alley with cap'n crunch sundaes and Teeny 'tinis https://straitjournal.com/sakseys-opened-off-parkers-alley-capn-crunch-sundaes-teeny.html https://straitjournal.com/sakseys-opened-off-parkers-alley-capn-crunch-sundaes-teeny.html Fri, 14 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000 Jamie Saksey's opened on Friday, November 14, 2025, with eight tables and 55 seats in the basement of Gilly's Clubhouse at 1550 Woodward. The entrance is in Parker's Alley. Music Review downtown sakseys cocktail-bar parkers-alley noho-hospitality An $80 million Brush Park development will bring 211 affordable units, including the Sanctuary https://straitjournal.com/80-million-brush-park-development-will-bring-211-affordable.html https://straitjournal.com/80-million-brush-park-development-will-bring-211-affordable.html Fri, 14 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000 Marcus The City of Detroit broke ground on a $80 million Brush Park development on Friday, November 14, 2025. Community News brush-park brewster-wheeler the-sanctuary affordable-housing mht-housing