This week on WDET’s Michigan politics podcast MichMash, Craig Mauger and Beth LeBlanc of The Detroit News join the show to discuss the criminal investigation into Fay Beydoun.

Beydoun, who served on the executive committee for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, is accused of misusing $15 million in funds the state awarded to her nonprofit for the purpose of bringing international businesses to Michigan.

Listen and subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Other headlines for Wednesday, July 9, 2025:

• The Detroit City Council recently approved ordinances to help making the licensing process easier for small businesses, BridgeDetroit reports.
• Two R&B legends are coming to Detroit this week: Keisha Cole’s The Way It Is Tour will stop at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday, July 10, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the singer’s debut album of the same name. And super songstress Fantasia will perform at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre on Friday, July 11.
• The Detroit Tigers will face off against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park on Wednesday, with the first pitch at 5:10 p.m. following a rain delay.
• Detroit City Football Club will play against Hartford Athletic at home on Saturday, July 12. The team is hoping to bounce back from their 2-0 loss to the Oakland Roots SC 2-0.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

A recent survey of Wyandotte’s water system by state regulators has identified “significant deficiencies” that they say “pose a significant health risk” to water consumers in the city.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) survey, released in April, reported deficiencies in four specific areas, including water treatment plant maintenance, distribution maintenance, finished water storage, and management and operations.

Additionally, the survey suggests that 40% of Wyandotte’s water system has “significant deterioration.”

“As a result,” the report said, “the city is not demonstrating the technical, managerial and financial capacity necessary to own and operate a water system.”

Paul LaManes, general manager for Wyandotte Municipal Services, says the city is currently working to address the issues highlighted in EGLE’s survey, but insisted that the water is safe to drink and poses no health risk to the public.

He joined The Metro to share more details about the survey and how the city is responding.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Student-athletes at state universities would be allowed to organize into unions under bills recently sponsored in the Michigan House of Representatives. The Democratic sponsors say the bills would empower student athletes who often provide great value to their institutions.

The legislation would classify student athletes as university employees instead of amateur competitors.  If signed into law, the bills would set the stage for union bargaining over questions like revenue sharing, training and work conditions, and name image and likeness (NIL) agreements. 

Rep. Joe Tate (D-Detroit) is a former Michigan State University football player who also went pro. He said student athletes who bring money into schools get a bigger voice in their working conditions and, in some cases, a share of ticket sales and lucrative broadcast deals.

“Whether it’s this revenue coming in, and just kind of that explosion there, and student athletes not being able to take advantage of that,” he said.

The legislation follows a settlement agreement between the NCAA and Division 1 schools on revenue sharing with student-athletes.

Earlier this year, the National Labor Relations Board — under pressure from President Donald Trump — also rescinded a 2021 memo that classified college athletes as “employees” with collective bargaining rights. The Trump administration also fired the NLRB attorney who wrote the memo that determined college athletes meet the legal definition of employees.

“Welcome to the future because now that there’s billions of dollars pouring into these schools, these athletic departments for sports entertainment, it is professional,” said Thomas Dieters, who helps negotiate name, image and likeness deals for college athletes, including the Michigan State University women’s gymnastics team.”The schools and the leagues and the NCAA, they just have to come to that realization and admit it, this is professional sports.”

The two bills would allow student athletes to form labor unions and make collective bargaining agreements and strengthen rights to make name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. The legislation is silent on academic requirements or student status to be eligible to play.

That is by design, said state Rep. Carry Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor), one of the bill sponsors.

“That’s so the students and their labor organizers and the universities and the athletic departments would be able to negotiate the terms of the contract,” she said. “I don’t want to dictate the terms of the contract because it’s for the experts, the people who are living this life to negotiate the terms of the contract.”

Rheingans said student-athletes at smaller state universities would benefit even if their schools do not have big broadcast and endorsement contracts. She said bargaining could still include a share of ticket receipts, as well as training conditions and medical benefits.

Legislative Republicans, who control the Michigan House, said they are watching to see how legal developments play out, but are definitely cool to the idea of unionizing student athletes at public universities.

“I think there’s a lot of questions about NIL deals right now. I don’t think anyone’s looking to expand things to let student athletes have a union representing them,” said Rep. Gerald Van Woerkom (R-Norton Shores). “I think there’s much more interest in getting roads funding done and getting the school budget done than in letting student athletes form a union.”

Listeners voted and now we have a lineup for our Sounds Like Detroit Musical Showcase happening on Aug. 14 at Batch Brewing!

Four metro Detroit-based artists will take the stage: three were pre-selected by WDET music hosts, including myself, along with Liz Warner (Alternate Take) and Chris Campbell (The Progressive Underground). WDET listeners selected the fourth artist in a recent poll; so without further ado, here’s our full lineup!

• Tariq Gardner & the Evening Star (Listener Selection)
  
• Corazon Szell & the North Ingalls Band (MI Local Selection)
  
• Beth (Progressive Underground Selection)
  
• Samuel Nalangira (Alternate Take Selection)

Thank you to everyone who voted! Now it’s time to get your tickets! Mark your calendars, tell your friends, and secure your spot for this impressive lineup!

• “The Beginning” – Marawana
• “It Takes 2” – Motorcity Era & Maraj Virtuoso
• “Garden Dweller” – Tariq Gardner & Evening Star
• “Island Paradise” – Corazon Szell
• “weatherman” – bonnie hook
• “Heavy Weight” – Carbon Decoy
• “109°” – Blasty’s Backroad
• “Panopticon” – Mac Kish
• “Me Gusta” – CHECKER
• “Persona” – Maryiam Kiani
• “Misbehaving” – Ethan Marc Band
• “California” – Ethan Marc Band, live in WDET Studios
• “Short Fuse” – Ethan Marc Band

The industry for materials key to American manufacturing could receive extra government support under proposed legislation from a Michigan congresswoman.

The bill, called the “Unearth America’s Future Act,” would create new federal loans, tax credits, and programs to spur the domestic production and refining of critical minerals like copper, magnesium and aluminum.

“What this bill is, is focused on public-private partnerships, supply chain opportunities, as well as recyclability, which is something that’s gaining a lot of traction in the critical materials space right now,” U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Michigan) said about her pending legislation.

Stevens estimates her plan would invest around $10 billion in the industry. It would cover loans, tax credits, partnerships and the creation of a new national center to oversee research and development.

The policy proposal is a response to concerns about China’s dominance in the market for precious metals, especially those used in goods like smart phones or vehicle batteries.

Stevens said that makes both the country’s and Michigan’s current situations untenable.

“Leaving Michigan’s entire manufacturing base on the hook for materials coming from minerals that are refined in China, that’s a risk. And that’s not working,” she said.

The Trump administration has already issued executive orders aimed at increasing the country’s mining capacity, despite environmental concerns. Separately, existing bipartisan bills in Congress are also trying to address that issue.

Stevens, however, said her way of addressing the matter is by taking a similar approach to how the bipartisan CHIPS Act addressed a shortage of American semiconductor chip makers: increasing the capacity for processing and refining already-mined minerals.

“This will increase our resilience here in the United States of America, but it will also increase our domestic production capabilities, which means lowering costs, lowering costs, lowering costs — we need to lower costs, and that’s what this bill’s going to be about as well. And job creation,” Stevens said.

Efforts to attract and settle immigrants in Detroit may have been a contributing factor in the city’s recent population growth, according to recent reporting from The Conversation.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Research shows that Immigration has a positive impact on the economy through a larger employee talent pool, increased social and civic engagement, and offsetting the decrease of Detroit native born children.

Despite a national shift in tone towards immigrants, cities like Detroit are prepping for a globalized future by investing in programs that encourage and support immigrants looking to start a life here.

Organizations like Global Detroit are encouraging entrepreneurship That includes programs like the Global Talent Retention Initiative, Global Talent Accelerator and Global Entrepreneur in Residence via Global Detroit, as well as community resources and education opportunities through Detroit’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.

The top five countries of origin for immigrants in metro Detroit include India, Iraq, Mexico, Yemen and Lebanon, according to U.S. Census Data.

Other headlines for Tuesday, July 8, 2025:

• Detroit Rapper and entrepreneur Icewear Vezzo joined City Council President Mary Sheffield on his childhood block to call attention to the work local organization Gracious Hands is doing to support the homeless.
• Air travelers may not need to take off their shoes for TSA at certain U.S. airports as early as this Sunday, as the agency plans to abandon the additional security step that’s been in place for about 20 years.
• The Detroit Tigers are facing the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday at Comerica Park. The Tigers are close to locking up their division and are proving to be the team to beat. This may be the year of the Tiger after all. First pitch for today’s game is at 6:40 p.m.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Hundreds of nurses, lab techs and other workers are on strike at McLaren Macomb Hospital in Mount Clemens after contract negotiations have hit a roadblock.

A key sticking point is safe staffing levels, with nurses saying they’re getting burned out and there aren’t enough of them to maintain an adequate level of patient care.

Dina Carlisle, a registered nurse and president of OPEIU Local 40, says many of the support staff do not make a living wage.

“Many of them make poverty wages. They can apply for Medicaid and SNAP benefits,” she said. “No one should be working three jobs to make ends meet, and that’s what their fight is about.”

In a statement, a McLaren spokesperson says that staffing levels meet federal guidelines and the hospital group is planning to file charges of unfair labor practices against the union.

“The union’s narrative that we are unsafe and have horrible working conditions is an outright misrepresentation of the reality of the quality care provided at the hospital,” part of the statement read.  

Both sides have accused the other of bargaining in bad faith.

Carlisle said the union has offered to give up retention bonuses in return for the hospital hiring more workers.

“Pure and simple, we want safe staffing for our service group,” she said. “They’re the folks who are phlebotomists. They draw your blood, the sitters who sit with you when you’re not safe to be alone, the people who register you in the ER, we want them to have a living wage.”

McLaren brought in temporary workers to cover during the three-day strike — and because of that — the nurses will be locked out on Thursday and Friday, and back to work Saturday morning.

The city of Detroit is suing a blockchain real estate company after many of its properties allegedly violated local safety and health codes.

Real Token, or RealT, is a Florida-based company that markets itself as a decentralized real estate security token platform. In the lawsuit, the city alleges that the company’s co-founders, brothers Remy Jacobson and Jean-Marc Jacobson, have neglected over 400 properties in the city by failing to maintain basic health and safety requirements.

“We’re talking about roofs that are leaking, sewage leaking in the basements. We have standing water as well in many of the basements…408 properties, 408 properties and not one of them has a certification of compliance,” said Detroit City Councilmember James Tate of the violations at a press conference.

Conrad Mallett, corporation counsel for the city of Detroit, joined The Metro on Tuesday to share more details about the lawsuit.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Michigan-based nonprofit Rank MI Vote is campaigning for signatures to get ranked choice voting on the November 2026 ballot.

This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben talk with Rank MI Vote Executive Director Pat Zabawa to learn more about this new voting style and why he says it would be better for Michigan.

In this episode:

• What is ranked choice voting?
• Is ranked choice voting a better system?
• What other ballot proposals are groups trying to get on the 2026 ballot?

Ranked choice voting has steadily increased in popularity across the country for the past decade — most notably in the Democratic mayoral primary race in New York City.

This alternative voting method allows voters to rank their choice of candidates on the ballot in order of preference.

Rank MI Vote’s effort to get ranked choice voting on the ballot recently passed the state board of canvassers. Pat Zabawa, the organization’s executive director, says this method would be helpful in making our voting system more efficient. 

“Michigan increasingly is being represented by candidates who haven’t won more than 50% of voters’ support,” Zabawa said. “That’s true in general elections, and that’s true in primaries. We see that the 2016 U.S. presidential race and Michigan 2024 U.S. presidential race, ranked choice voting addresses the issue that voters see and make sure that voters are represented.”  

Still, Kasben says opponents will likely call the proposal confusing, and “fight back against the idea that it wouldn’t cause a delay in getting results,” she said. “Some also say it goes against the ‘one person one vote’ rule.” 

Supporters of the Rank MI Vote initiative will need to collect more than 440,000 signatures that are needed to get the initiative on the ballot in 2026. 

More from WDET:

• The Metro: The case for ranked choice voting in Michigan
• Detroit Evening Report: Trump order aims to dismantle US Department of Education; March Madness + more
• The promises and drawbacks of ranked choice voting 

Tourism between the U.S. and Canada has taken a hit amid trade disputes between the two countries. U.S. travel to Canada in May declined 8% when compared to the same time last year, according to Statistics Canada, while Canadian travel to the U.S. dropped 38%. 

To help change that, the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel has launched a new campaign in partnership with the University of Windsor to promote tourism in the city.

Organizers say the “40-40 Campaign,” running now through July 31, is a nod to 40 local Windsor restaurants and the nearly 40% more value per dollar Americans capture when spending their money in Canada.

Windsor-Detroit Tunnel CEO Tal Czudner and Olivia Sylvester, 40-40 project lead and a business school student at the University of Windsor, joined The Metro to share more about the campaign.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the world has felt different for a lot of American Jews. Much of that is related to Israel’s ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. For almost two years, Israel has been responding to Hamas’ brutal attacks in Gaza. 

The results have been devastating for Palestinians. About 55,000 people have been killed from that war. Starvation has become a profound issue after Israel’s months-long food aid blockade a few months ago. 

This is an ongoing problem, as Israel has been striking food aid centers which happened just two days ago, killing 74 people. In America, Jews generally support the Jewish-majority country that is Israel. But there are some who feel that, whether they feel kinship with Israel or not, the country’s government needs to be held accountable. 

That’s true for many members of Jewish Voice for Peace. A number of people in the anti-Zionist group are participating in a “rolling solidarity fast” to help bring more attention to the starvation happening in Gaza. 

Ruby Shapiro, a member of the local Detroit chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, joined The Metro to share more about their effort.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Detroit officials announced the launch of a new teen violence prevention plan in response to recent shooting incidents involving children in the city.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

At a news conference on Monday, Mayor Mike Duggan said the city will enforce a 10 p.m. curfew as part of the plan, adding that over the past month, 12 of the 20 shootings involving minors happened late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

“Whatever trouble teenagers may get into in the afternoon and the evening as you start to get to 11, 12, 1 in the morning — whether they’re drinking, whether they’re using substances, whether they’re just beefing — the behavior gets worse and worse,” he said.

Duggan says he will ask the Detroit City Council to raise the fines for parents whose kids are caught outside after curfew without adult supervision. 

Duggan is also authorizing more overtime for the Detroit Police Department, so officers will stay out later to enforce the curfew against groups of teenagers. 

Watch Duggan and Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison’s announcement about the effort here.

Reporting by Russ McNamara, WDET News

Other headlines for Monday, July 7, 2025:

• The city of Dearborn has unveiled another ability inclusive playscape. This third installment can be found at Lapeer Park, joining Ford Woods and Crowley parks in providing activities for children with special mobility needs. Dearborn Parks & Recreation worked with disability groups and families to design the park.
• Michigan residents now have the option to take the written portion of the driver’s education course online. The “KnowTo Drive” test can be taken at Michigan Secretary of State branches and offices, and is available in different languages. Eligible Michigan residents over 18 must verify proof of identity and pay a $6.50 convenience fee. They will also have to use a webcam to prove their identity.
• Detroit Documenters is a program that trains and pays people to take notes at public meetings in Detroit. Documenters is hosting a network-wide Virtual Note-taking Practice Session from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9. Participants must complete an orientation training before participating in the note-taking training. The Documenters are also hosting a photo documenting workshop in Tech Town on July 15.  

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Detroit faces a turning point this year. Long-time Mayor Mike Duggan is leaving the office to make an independent bid for governor.

What do Detroiters want to see from the city’s next mayor?

WDET is examining that question by launching the Citizen Vox Project. These are one-on-one conversations with Detroit residents about the issues that matter to them.

WDET’s Quinn Klinefelter spoke with 69-year-old Midtown Detroiter Andrew Crawford. He says he’s not sure yet which mayoral candidate he’ll vote for. But Crawford says he does have a question for whoever takes the top job in Detroit’s city government.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Andrew Crawford: We strive so hard to be a big city. But how can you be a big city when your transportation is very poor? You got two rail systems and none of them really go anywhere. The QLINE just runs up and down from West Grand Boulevard to downtown. Then you got the People Mover. All it does is go in a circle. So, it’s money wasted.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: What about the bus systems?

AC: I don’t understand why the suburban SMART and Detroit Department of Transportation lines can’t be merged. Why would you have two systems? It’s still wasted money. I ride them all the time, both bus systems. And I’m telling you, people are moving back to Detroit, the city is growing, and once you get the public transportation system going better, the population is gonna explode. People can move around and depend on it. There used to be a lot of rail systems here at one time, before people started buying so many cars.

QK: What other issues stick out to you?

AC: Definitely crime. I wish the community would get more involved in helping police that. I’m hoping to see more of that. I’m hoping whoever becomes mayor invests in the whole city. Downtown, it’s going to take care of itself. It’s already on its way. Now it’s time to reach further than the boulevard.

QK: What would you want to see past the boulevard? What do you want to see out in the neighborhoods?

AC: I would like to see more houses, more businesses, communities coming together. Like that food co-op past Euclid on Woodward Ave. It’s a Black-owned food co-op. I’d like to see more of that. And also see the city commit to helping more people that have homes to maintain those homes.

QK: This will be the first time in a dozen years that Mike Duggan will not be mayor of Detroit. What have you thought of the job he’s done so far?

AC: I think he did a great job. I think he’d make a good governor.

QK: Would you like to see whoever becomes the next mayor just continue with the same kind of stuff Duggan’s done? Or, other than transit or crime, is there another area you’d want to see them try to improve on or go beyond what’s being done already?

AC: Take where he left off and make it go even further. Like the north end, I see businesses and restaurants popping up all over there. But I would like to even see them go deeper into the east side and Gratiot Ave. This is where public transportation comes in, because if you got those kinds of systems running throughout the city, it’s going to bring people to those communities.

I don’t care what you do to the city or how much you improve, if your public transportation system is not together, it’s going to fall apart. And the people need to come out and vote, especially in the Black community, even in these local elections. Because if we don’t, what’s going on now is going to continue. You got to show that you care. And that you care about voting. If you don’t care, this is what happens, the turmoil we in now.

This is Chris Campbell from The Progressive Underground with your Pick of the Week. And trust me, this one hits deep.

This week, we spotlight Detroit’s own Ideeyah, whose latest EP on Theo Parrish’s Sound Signature label is nothing short of a spiritual sonic experience.

Produced by rising star Meftah, the project marks a bold evolution in Ideeyah’s artistry — blending ethereal vocals, spoken word reflections, and lush, transcendent production that feels like praise and meditation all in one.

One of the standout tracks is called “20/20,” a soulful, introspective groove that moves the body and stirs the spirit, and it’s my Pick of the Week.

That was Ideeyah with “20/20” off her new EP, Sweet Chariot.

If this resonated with you, pull up every Saturday at 6 p.m. for The Progressive Underground, where we explore the future of soul, nu-jazz, b-sides, and deep grooves from across the spectrum.

For The Progressive Underground, I’m Chris Campbell. Catch you next time.

In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, lots of new music from Detroiters Carmel Liburdi, Kate Hinote Trio and Jack Spivey,

Plus, recognizing a couple artists who recently passed, some protest songs for Fourth of July weekend and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for July 5, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “Sleeves Up” – Crys Matthews
  
• “We March” – Prince
  
• “If Not For Love” – Durand Jones & The Indications
• “If She Could See Me Now” – Lorde
• “Cemetery Road” – Kate Hinote Trio
• “Theme From Mannix” – Lalo Shiffrin (died June 26)
• “Ready For Love” – Mott The Hoople (Mick Ralphs, died June 23)
  
• “Who’s Zoomin’ Who” – Aretha Franklin (released 40 years ago this month)
• “Back In Time” – Huey Lewis & The News (released 40 years ago this week)
• “The Field” – Blood Orange
  
• “Devil I Know” – Kylee Phillips

• “Americans” – Janelle Monae
  
• “America” – Tracy Chapman
• “69” – Carmel Liburdi
• “Amber (11 AM)” – Cautious Clay
• “Forget My Name – Jack Spivey (ft. Sami Ray)
  
• “Cruisin'” – D’Angelo (released 30 years ago this month)
• “Chicago” – Sufjan Stevens (released 20 years ago this month)
• “From” – Bon Iver
• “Who’ll Stand With Us?” – Dropkick Murphys
• “When Will We Be Paid” – The Staple Singers
  
• “Bye Bye 25” – Kim Gordon
• “It Keeps The Lights On” – The Accidentals
• “I Need You” – Jon Batiste

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org.

Gordie Howe International Bridge officials say construction work on the new span over the Detroit River is about 95% complete.

The project broke ground in 2018. The roughly 1.5-mile long crossing between Detroit and Windsor is still on track to open this fall, but an exact date has not yet been given.

Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority spokesperson Heather Grondin says crews are wrapping up paving work and putting the finishing touches on employee areas.

“We’re also doing a lot of landscaping,” said Grondin. “These are major ports of entry — the largest along the Canada-U.S. border — so landscaping is a huge part of the project.”

Grondin adds that crews have a number of final checks to carry out before the grand opening.

“Testing our lighting is a great example of that,” she said. “It’s not just installing the 5,000-plus aesthetic lights, the safety lights that will be on the bridge, but it’s also testing it and making sure it works.”

As for work residents in Michigan and Ontario may notice, Grondin says the construction cranes on the bridge have now come down — marking a major milestone in the project.

Work has also begun on testing the technological systems and processes in preparation for the bridge’s opening, according to project officials.

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café, we reconnect with Paul Thorn! We first met Paul in 1997 when he made his debut (after a brief career as a nationally ranked middle-weight fighter). Paul just turned 60, and is still making music, including his 12th album called “Life Is Just A Vapor.”

Also featured, acoustic Prince and a Prince cover, archive stuff from Amy Ray, Joan Armatrading, Ani DiFranco and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episodes on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Acoustic Café Playlist for July 6, 2025

• “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
• “Everybody Laughs” – David Byrne
• “Tomboy” – Maia Sharp
• “I’ll Go Anywhere” – Mustafa
• “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing” – Ken Pomeroy
• “Shapes & Sizes” – Joan Armatrading (1995 in-studio performance)
• “Free (acoustic)” – Prince
• “Little Red Corvette” – Steve Poltz (1999 in-studio performance)
• “Chicken Wing” – Paul Thorn (in-studio guest)
• “Life Is Just A Vapor” – Paul Thorn (in-studio guest)
• “Nose On The Grindstone” – Tyler Childers
• “bare” — vraell
• “Against All Odds” – Mark Erelli
• “Why Should The Fire Die?” – Nickel Creek (2005 in-studio performance)
• “Hold On” – Leon Bridges
• “Smooth Sailing” – Leon Bridges
• “Suture Up You Future” – QOTSA
• “Old Devil Moon” – dodie
• “A Mighty Thing” – Amy Ray (2023 in-studio performance)
• “Paris (Ooh La La) (acoustic)” – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
• “Lucky Love” – Jon Muq
• “Needle In The Hay” – Elliott Smith
•  “Worthy” – Ani Difranco (1995 in-studio performance)
• “Promises (9 AM) — Cautious Clay
• “Wait” – Paul Thorn (in-studio guest)
• “Old Melodies” – Paul Thorn (in-studio guest)

This is Chris Campbell from The Progressive Underground, and it’s time for my Pick of the Week.

Now this one right here? It’s for the ballroom crowd, the steppers, the late-night soul seekers. We’re diving into “1AM (Extended Groove Mix)” from Detroit’s own SiloamPool, a singer-songwriter with a voice as smooth as silk and a pen dipped in jazz and R&B.

Raised on a musical diet of Nina Simone, Earth, Wind & Fire, Al Jarreau, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Gino Vannelli, Siloam once had plans to wear a white coat in the medical field. But after taking a few music theory and vocal courses at the University of Michigan, she caught the bug, and the stage called her name.

After a stint on the road with gospel and R&B legend Fred Hammond, she stepped out solo and hasn’t looked back. Her latest single, co-written with Markovich Drummond and produced by Sidney Howard of Mama, There Goes That Band! fame, is a lush, late-night groove layered with a slow-burn intro and vocals that slide in like velvet.

It’s sensual. It’s soulful. It’s midnight magic turned all the way up.
Let’s get into it. This is Siloam Pool with “1AM (Extended Groove Mix),”  my Pick of the Week.

That was SiloamPool with “1AM (Extended Groove Mix)” — a smooth-as-satin cut built for those moonlit dance floors and backroom lounges. 

If you love groove-heavy joints like this, catch me every Saturday evening at 6 p.m. on The Progressive Underground, where we bump future soul, nu-jazz, b-sides and rare grooves.

For The Progressive Underground, I’m Chris Campbell.  Stay soulful and uplifted and we’ll see you next time.

Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion is home to some of the city’s most iconic businesses and shops.

Every year on the first Saturday in July, the “Light Up Livernois” fashion, art and design festival takes over Livernois between Six and Eight Mile roads to highlight all the business and entertainment district has to offer. 

Alysyn Curd, one of the event’s organizers and co-founder of the Independent Business Association headquartered on the Avenue of Fashion, joined The Metro to share more about the event this Saturday.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro