Jack White kicks off tour, Dearborn’s Ramadan Suhoor festival is back, hip-hop at Eastern Market and more activities | Things to Do | Detroit

Select events taking place in Metro Detroit this week. Submit your events to metrotimes.com/calendar. Be sure to check venue websites for COVID-19 guidelines.

Jack White

Friday April 8th and Saturday April 9th: Like many of us, rock star Jack White seems to have emerged from the pandemic shutdowns a slightly changed man, now sporting a blue-dyed Elvis-esque hairstyle and reportedly working with a new team. But while most of us have been busy playing Netflix and playing Nintendo, the Motor City native has been busy recording not one, but two new full-length solo albums – the first of which, fear of dawnwill be released on Friday while the second, Enter heaven alive, will be released on July 22nd. If the lead singles are any indication, the former appears to be a louder, more electric, and more eclectic effort (tracks like “Taking Me Back” and “Fear of the Dawn” see White seemingly crank his guitar amp up to 11, while ” Hi-De-Ho” includes a Cab Calloway sample and a feature by rapper Q-Tip), while the latter will be a quieter, acoustically driven effort (with “Taking Me Back” being repeated as a more folksy version). White also dubbed his upcoming tour “The Supply Chain Issues Tour,” which isn’t just a cheeky response to the economic bullshit we’re all experiencing; He recently shot a video at his Third Man Records pressing facility in Detroit urging major labels – Warner Bros., Universal and Sony – to reinvest in building their own vinyl production facilities. The tour begins in Detroit with double dates at White’s beloved Masonic Temple; The Sugar Tradition and Olivia Jean are also on the program for both evenings. – Lee DeVito

6:00pm admission on Friday and Saturday at the Masonic Temple; 500 Temple Street, Detroit; 313-832-7100; themasonic.com. Tickets start at $50.

Art, Beats + Lyrics

Friday, April 8: Traveling pop-up Art, Beats, + Lyrics has been celebrating hip-hop and urban art in cities across the country for 17 years and is coming to Detroit for the first time on Friday. The one-day festival features work by more than 50 visual artists, musical performances and plenty of alcohol. The festival is presented by Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey (hence the booze) and curated by arts organization Cult Creative. It started as a simple local art show in Atlanta in 2004 and has grown over the years into a national festival featuring acts like Kendrick Lamar and Snarky Puppy. Friday’s show will include a performance by Southern rapper Bun B and artwork by ArrrtAddict (AKA Lisette Correa) and Charly Palmer, who recently did a cover for Time Magazine. -Randiah Camille Green

Doors open at 7pm on Friday April 8th and the event runs until midnight; Eastern Market, Detroit. Admission is free, but you must register at artbeatsandlyrics.com. Must be 21 or older to participate.

Ramadan Suhoor Festival

Friday April 8th to Sunday April 30th: The Ramadan Suhoor Festival is back after a two year hiatus and this year takes over the car park at Dearborn’s Fairlane Town Center with more than 50 food trucks and vendors. The outdoor culinary extravaganza comes in honor of Ramadan, when Muslim practitioners fast from dawn to dusk. As such, the feast occurs from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. (worshipers can eat before and after Lent every day). “Suhur” is the meal eaten before sunrise during Ramadan to help Muslims make ends meet during their fast. Although relatively new as of 2018, the festival attracts thousands of people from across the Midwest and even Canada every day. And it is not only visited by Muslims. Everyone is welcome, from the self-proclaimed foodie to the night owl, or those just wanting to learn more about Ramadan. -Randiah Camille Green

The festival takes place from April 8th to 30th every Friday and Saturday from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Admission is $1.

The potency test

Saturday April 9th: In Another Life, Benjamin Sobczak was a rapper who fronted hip hop group Mice & Musicians. He’s now a cannabis attorney for Michigan-based cannabis chain Pleasantrees, but his love of music hasn’t faded. Sobczak and Pleasantrees are helping raise the next generation of local musicians with the Potency Test, a new band-style competition where the winner earns $5,000 in cash and studio time. Performing artists include Pontiac rapper Arie KD, Lansing rapper Kwaj, Battle Creek singer-songwriter Sam Luna, Detroit hardcore band Adventurer, Brighton rock band V*A*S*E* and the Singer-songwriter Grace Theisen from Kalamazoo. The six acts will be judged by three guest judges: “White Boy” Rick, the former teenage FBI whistleblower recently released from prison whose story has been told as a Hollywood film and as an Eminem cameo on the Starz show BMF, and who also launched his own cannabis brand, The 8th; Chad Nicefield, frontman of the rock band Wilson; and Pontiac City Councilwoman Melanie Rutherford, who is also a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. All proceeds are also used for charity. – Lee DeVito

The event begins at 7pm on Saturday, April 9th ​​in the Crofoot Ballroom; 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; 248-858-9333; thecrofoot.com. Admission tickets are $5.

Stay connected with the Detroit Metro Times. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Google News, Apple News, TwitterFacebook, Instagram, Reddit or TikTok.