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Bruno Mars shines in Detroit – Detroit Metro Times

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Bruno Mars shines in Detroit – Detroit Metro Times


There’s a moment toward the end of the night where Bruno Mars is using that raspy tenor of voice of his to sing his 2012 hit “Locked Out of Heaven” as if he was launched out of a rocket. The crowd is hanging and swinging on every note, confetti is pouring down, Mars is over two hours into his set with barely any breaks, but his swagger feels so effortless. It was as if you could throw him a cup of ice water and he could go for another two hours.

For Mars, this is just another day at the office.

Saturday was the first of two nights in which Mars’s The Romantic Tour set up shop in the Detroit Lions’ Ford Field. The night started off with a 30-minute energetic DJ set from Anderson .Paak’s alter ego, “DJ Pee .Wee.” That was followed by another 30-minute set from singer Leon Thomas, who is fresh off Grammy Award wins for Best R&B Album (MUTT) and Best Traditional R&B Performance (“Vibes Don’t Lie”).

Mars, a 40-year-old native of Hawaii, has sold over 20 million albums and won 16 Grammy Awards. He’s always been a wild mix of James Brown and Justin Bieber — this generation’s impresario of funk with a mutant-like ability to create over-the-top pop hits. The Romanic, released on Feb. 27, is his fourth solo album and first project in four years. 

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Mars hit the stage right at 8:45 p.m. dressed in a casual crimson lounge suit and headband while accompanied by his band the Hooligans. From the jump the energy was magnetic. Mars dove right into songs “Risk It All,” “Treasure,” and “On My Soul” (he performed all nine songs from The Romantic). His stage presence and synchrony with the Hooligans was subtle and effective. They routinely swaggered into a choreographed doo-wop dance steps that were evenly spread out through out the night. At times there were multiple members playing trumpet and other times they were all on guitars. Mars himself jumped on the conga drums on “Cha Cha Cha,” played the guitar on “Something Serious,” and played the piano on “It Will Rain,” “Talking to the Moon,” and “When I was Your Man.”

Visually, there was cinematic camera work being displayed on two large LED screens positioned on both sides of the stage. This allowed all 48,000 attendees (no matter where their seats were) to take in the visual experience that was aided with laser beans, pulsating lights, cold sparks, and pyrotechnics.

Anderson .Paak joined Mars back on stage for the second hour of the show where they performed “Fly as Me” and “Smoking out the Window” along with most of the songs from their joint album An Evening with Silk Sonic.  Toward the end of their hit, “Leave the Door Open” the duo went back and forth singing the line “come on over baby” as if it was a ballad duel. The moment highlighted both singers’ chemistry and showmanship. 

But the night was all about Mars. He ended the show singing his mega hit “Uptown Funk” but also did an encore performance of “Dance With Me,” singing just as strong and effortlessly near the end of the night as he did at the beginning. His 150-minute set was polished without feeling robotic.  Even though he’s stepped foot behind a microphone thousands of times, he never sounded like he was going through the motions. He was charismatic, engaging, and made Detroit feel like it was this tour’s only stop, not his ninth. 

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Detroit, MI

Man armed with gun shot by police in downtown Detroit ahead of fireworks show, police say

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Man armed with gun shot by police in downtown Detroit ahead of fireworks show, police say


A man, who authorities say was armed with a weapon, was shot by Detroit police on Monday ahead of the annual Ford Fireworks show.

Police say another person, a 19-year-old, was arrested before the shooting.

Detroit police say that at about 6:24 p.m., officers arrested the 19-year-old, who was armed, near the area of Farmer and Bates streets. At that time, a man was seen walking away from a group. Police say that the person ran away, prompting a chase.

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During the chase, an officer fired shots, hitting the man several times. The individual was taken to the hospital, and a weapon was recovered from the scene. The individual’s identity is currently unknown.

Police say there is no ongoing threat to the public, and the incident remains under investigation.

The annual fireworks show is set to begin at approximately 10 p.m. over the Detroit River.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Grace Hanke crowned Miss Michigan 2026

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Grace Hanke crowned Miss Michigan 2026


A Metro Detroit resident has claimed the title of Miss Michigan, being crowned on Saturday night.

University of Detroit Mercy student Grace Hanke, who competed as Miss Oakland County, won the crown at Frauenthal Theater in Muskegon. Hanke said winning the title was a dream, though it was not her main goal.



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Plymouth’s Channell-Watkins joins local hockey players on PWHL Detroit

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Plymouth’s Channell-Watkins joins local hockey players on PWHL Detroit


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PWHL Detroit added another local player to the roster for the inaugural season in 2026-2027.

Plymouth’s Mellissa Channell-Watkins (Vancouver Goldeneyes) was one of three defensemen signed to the team on Sunday along with Stephanie Markowski (Ottawa Charge) and Mia Biotti (Boston Fleet).

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Channell-Watkins joins Macomb’s Taylor Girard, Brighton’s Shiann Darkangelo and Port Huron’s Casey Borgiel as Michigan-area players in the lineup.

Channell-Watkins played with the expansion Goldeneyes last year after two previous seasons with the Minnesota Frost where she won back-to-back Walter Cup titles.

In 30 games in 2025-26, the 31-year-old recorded two assists and tied for fifth among defenders with 44 hits.

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In 83 career regular-season games, she has 11 points (1G, 10A), while her nine career playoff points (1G, 8A) in 18 games is tied for third all-time among defenders. 

Prior to turning pro, the Little Caesars graduate played at the University of Wisconsin, scoring the game-winning goal in the 2017 NCAA Frozen Four semifinal.

Markowski entered the PWHL as the 20th overall selection by Ottawa in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft.

The 24-year-old finished third on the team with a plus-6 rating in 2025-26 and has recorded 10 points (2G, 8A) in 58 career regular-season games.

Collegiately, the Edmonton native played four seasons at Clarkson University (2019-23), serving as an alternate captain in 2022-23.

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She transferred to Ohio State where she won a national championship with the Buckeyes in 2024.

Biotti spent her rookie season with Boston Fleet, making her PWHL debut at Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 3 and went on to record two assists in 13 regular-season games and saw action in two playoff contests. 

The 23-year-old from Cambridge, Massachusetts, played four seasons at Harvard University, serving as captain in her senior year, and earned Second-Team All-Ivy League honors.

PWHL Detroit roster

Forwards

Daryl Watts, Detroit’s first signing, Canadian Olympian, Toronto Sceptres

Hannah Bilka, U.S. Olympian, Seattle Torrent

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Britta Curl-Salemme, U.S. Olympian, Minnesota Frost

Jesse Compher, Sister of Red Wings forward J.T. Compher, Toronto Sceptres

Taylor Girard, Macomb native, New York Sirens

Shiann Darkangelo, Brighton, Montreal Victoire

Hilary Knight, U.S. Olympian, Seattle Torrent

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Defensemen

Cayla Barnes, U.S. Olympian, Seattle Torrent

Sydney Bard, Vancouver Goldeneyes

Nina Jobst-Smith, German Olympian, Vancouver Goldeneyes

Detroit’s draft picks

▶ No. 15 (Second round): Andrea Brandli, G, Switzerland

▶ No. 22 (second round): Casey Borgiel, D, Colgate

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▶ No. 34 (third round): MaryKate O’Brien, F, Minnesota-Duluth

▶ No. 39 (fourth round): Kyle Josifovic, F, Connecticut.

▶ No. 51 (fifth round): Sena Catterall, F, Clarkson

▶ No. 63 (sixth round): Georgia Schiff, F, Cornell

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Detroit added six new players in the PWHL Draft, including Swiss goalie star Andrea Brändli.

Detroit added six players in the PWHL Draft, including Swiss goalie star Andrea Brändli.



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