Tom Selleck’s mustache and Hawaiian shirt combo do charity work in Hazel Park, and our special guest tells Erika, Marc and ML how you can get involved.

STRAIGHT DOPE: Soulmates, your wait is over! Erika, Marc and I offer our sage advice on thorny topics in our NEW bonus episode, which will drop any day. This is exclusive for our Patreon subscribers (though you can buy individual episodes). To join for as little as $5, follow this link.

The annual Magnum party moves from Hamtramck to Hazel Park on Saturday, Sept. 12. August Gitschlag is one of the three hosts, and he drops in to tell us how the party started, how to get involved, and why it’s such a good cause. Here’s a link with more info.

Magnum 12 is not only a good time, it raises money for families with a loved one who has cancer. It’s serious business, but the party is also serious fun and will be held at the Eastern Palace Club, which August says looks like a Tiki bar that migrated north from Key West.

Shawn is still out, but ML says he’d love to bring Shawn to Magnum 13 – but only if he dressed like Higgins, resplendent in matching khaki shorts and safari shirt.

It’s hard to believe, but Selleck spent more time on “Blue Bloods” than “Magnum, P.I.,” prompting ML to ask what the deal was with all those weekly family dinners.

Erika says the dinners got her wondering how much food got stuck in Selleck’s magnificent mustache. August says he’s more concerned about “Mustache-Booger Panic.”

Marc was clean-shaven and fresh-faced … UNTIL he and Drew and the crew left WRIF. He’s been rocking his “protest beard” ever since.

ML asks Erika how she and her friends feel about mustaches and beards – and ML marvels at why men are so attracted to other men with beards.

Erika can’t say much about it -- yet -- but she is getting into some pretty heavy-duty stories for WDIV. The crew discusses how important it is for the media to do more than regurgitate press releases – and why it’s OK that certain people end up hating you (or so says ML, one of the most-hated reporters in town)!

Marc had a great trip to Norman, Oklahoma, even though his Michigan Wolverines didn’t have as much fun. He tells us all about the “Sooner Schooner.”

ML pays tribute to Ignacio “Ziggy” Gonzalez, who he considers the patron saint of Clark Park. Ziggy passed away at 94. ML shares stories about his life in his latest “On Guard” column. Read it here.

Looking for a great gift for a friend, relative or even someone you don’t particularly like? A Free Press subscription is a bargain! Hit this link to get a deal.

Please support the show by becoming a Soulmate. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like early access to new episodes, the video version of the show, no insertion ads and access to our monthly bonus episode. Sign up here.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: The hag who harassed a dad who fetched a home run ball for his son at a Phillies game is this week’s geek.

ROOM 7609: Listener Mike says if ML’s life was a movie, the Violent Femmes' “American Music” would be on the soundtrack. Please send us your suggestion for a song — along with a great story — to [email protected]

OUR BENEFACTORS: Please consider supporting the show by making a one-time donation or becoming a Soulmate, which is what Erika calls our Patreon subscribers. Sign up for our Patreon supporters club and find out how you can get perks by supporting the show! Use this link: https://www.patreon.com/MLSoulofDetroit

FEEDBACK: Max questions Marc’s musical knowledge. We welcome all your questions, comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US: Support us on Patreon or make a donation via Venmo or PayPal at mlsoulofdetroit.com. Or drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show!

LISTEN AND LEARN: Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!! Your endorsement is very powerful! Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”

The truth – and Shawn – is out there somewhere. ML and Marc search for it, while Erika is away at WDIV.

STRAIGHT DOPE: Marc manages to cobble together this week’s episode while the Red Shovel Network studios are under renovation. Members of our Patreon supporters group the Soulmates can get a sneak peek at the new digs.

ML is tanned and not exactly rested after a long weekend in East Lansing to teach and watch MSU football, on Lake St. Clair with his class president, at the Country Club of Detroit for his 40th class reunion and in Hamtramck for the Yacht Races … and some Gangster Fun.

You run into all kinds of people at a high school reunion, including classmates with famous siblings. ML asks Marc if he can guess who Mary Kay Lowery’s brother is, and gives him five guesses. That’s a clue, people! Do YOU know the answer?

Here’s another clue: Mary Kay’s brother played in a high school band with ML’s brother Rob. One of the other members of the band also made headlines the hard way when he was killed in the Carnegie Deli massacre. Marc and ML want you to share your best high school stories — they can be triumphant, tragic or just about anything in between. Send them to [email protected]

During ML’s 40th high school reunion, he finally got a chance to dance with the woman he considered the best-looking, smartest and nicest girl in his class. Listen and learn who she is — and what her conditions were before she would hit the dance floor.

Marc asks ML about some characters who came out for the reunion and ML says the baddest — in a good way — dude from his class was there. BTW, he looked tanned and terrific … and ML is not just saying that to avoid a beating.

After the reunion, ML recovered by attending the Hamtramck Yacht Races. Read all about it (and see some of the video) here.

Looking for a great gift for a friend, relative or even someone you don’t particularly like? A Free Press subscription is a bargain! Hit this link to get a deal.

Please support the show by becoming a Soulmate. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like early access to new episodes, the video version of the show, no insertion ads and access to our monthly bonus episode. Sign up here: http://www.patreon.com/c/MLSoulofDetroit


GEEK OF THE WEEK: ML calls out hypocrites who seem to no longer care about gas prices, and Marc hammers an athlete who prefers coffee to water for hydration.

ROOM 7609: Still stuck in class reunion mode, ML (Grosse Pointe South High School Class of 1985) books Killing Joke into the New Wave suite to perform “Eighties.” Please send us your suggestion for a song — along with a great story — to [email protected]


OUR BENEFACTORS: Please consider supporting the show by making a one-time donation or becoming a Soulmate, which is what Erika calls our Patreon subscribers. Sign up for our Patreon supporters club and find out how you can get perks by supporting the show! Use this link: https://www.patreon.com/MLSoulofDetroit

FEEDBACK: Kelly answers a question ML asked listeners last week. We welcome all your questions, comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US: Support us on Patreon or make a donation via Venmo or PayPal at mlsoulofdetroit.com. Or drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show!

LISTEN AND LEARN: Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!! Your endorsement is very powerful! Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”

ML is STILL recovering from high school, so why is he going to his 40thclass reunion this weekend? Marc and special guest Tresa Baldas share some of their most vivid memories from their school daze.

STRAIGHT DOPE: You might think with his affection for New Wave music, and his 1985 Buick Riviera, that high school was the best days of ML’s life. Not so. Nevertheless, he is looking forward to attending the 40th class reunion of his alma mater, Grosse Pointe South High School, this weekend. Listen and learn why.

ML claims kinship with Millennials because he felt invisible in high school. Marc asks what changed.

Marc and Tresa haven’t had a class reunion. Ever. Marc reveals the reason for his reunion fail. Tresa cops to putting a curse on her class … and shares why she’s thinking of lifting it.

While Marc somehow stayed one step ahead of the law in high school, ML almost got banned from graduation after getting caught pulling a senior prank. He tells all about it – including how the punishment could have exposed him to a lethal dose of toxic material.

Unlike her husband, Tresa was popular in high school and got along with everyone. But she was haunted by a feeling she didn’t quite belong. She tells all about it.

Being a kid in high school can feel like the blind leading the blind. Well, when Tresa was in high school, she actually led the blind – in marching band, no less.

ML says being an unpopular dick in high school helped prepare him for his career as an investigative reporter. Find out why.

Tresa says one of her classmates was so hot even the blind girl knew he was a stud. ML is not impressed.

Mr. Binder held ML’s life in his hands, but showed the kind of mercy that can change a life. ML shares why he will never forget the grace that kept him out of jail … after his dad nearly shot him in the face.

Listener Sean thanks us for having Dan Wetzel of ESPN on to share a story that could literally save a life. Read all about it here.

ML never gets to hype his latest On Guard column, which you can read all about here by hitting this link.

Looking for a great gift for a friend, relative or even someone you don’t particularly like? A Free Press subscription is a bargain! Hit this link to get a deal.

Please support the show by becoming a Soulmate. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like early access to new episodes, the video version of the show, no insertion ads and access to our monthly bonus episode. Sign up here.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: ML offers one of the most obscure geeks ever before Marc calls out a current trend leaving college campuses on lockdown.

ROOM 7609: Listener Mike hits the trifecta with a great story about a great band who are from Detroit! Check out Gangster Fun playing “Mario’s Hideout” in the New Wave suite, then catch them LIVE in Hamtramck on Labor Day. Send us your favorite tune or deep cut or track from an obscure band – along with a story about the ditty – by writing to [email protected].

OUR BENEFACTORS: Dee from the U.K. is our newest Soulmate, while Sean sends a one-time donation to thank us for Wetzel’s work. To sign up for our Patreon supporters club and find out how you can get perks by supporting the show! Use this link: Get more from ML Soul of Detroit on Patreon 

FEEDBACK: DJ Weiser is not entertained. We welcome all your questions, comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US: Support us on Patreon or make a donation via Venmo or PayPal at mlsoulofdetroit.com. Or drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show!

LISTEN AND LEARN: Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!! Your endorsement is very powerful! Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”

ESPN’s Dan Wetzel opines on the NCAA and Michigan Wolverines, while Marc defends the Big House and ML and Shawn finally agree on something.

STRAIGHT DOPE: ML says, with a straight face, that he does not want to talk about penalties the NCAA levied on the Michigan Wolverines. Then he says he’s only doing it because YOU want it. So it’s all your fault? Sheesh! This guy should be a college football coach!!!

ESPN’s Dan Wetzel joins the crew to provide an impartial perspective on the U-M sign stealing scandal that he covered extensively while at Yahoo Sports.

The Wolverines could be looking at a $30 million fine – which is real money to most folks. But ML says billionaire Larry Ellison, who ponied up the money for U-M’s prize quarterback, will probably just write another check.

Marc asks if ML knows who hired former U-M President Santa Ono. The answer probably won’t shock you…

Shawn and ML finally agree on something – that Michigan’s sterling reputation is tarnished by the sign-stealing scandal. Marc totally disagrees, while Dan offers a more nuanced take.

Did Connor Stalions cry? Marc wants to know.

When he’s not breaking big sports stories, Dan is telling compelling tales. His latest is about a high school athlete in the U.P. who was the victim of a sextortion plot. It’s a tragic story and involves some terrific police work that results in bringing a measure of justice to the victims. Read all about it here.

Dan’s story has lots of great takeaways, but this is among the most useful: If sextortionists ask you for money, turn off your computer and don’t give them a cent.

Other than mentioning that Samuel L. Jackson contributed to a candidate for mayor of Detroit, ML never gets to hype his latest On Guard column, which you can read all about for FREE by hitting this link.

Shawn is fascinated by U-M referring to itself as the KGB. Read all about it here.

Looking for a great gift for a friend, relative or even someone you don’t particularly like? A Free Press subscription is a bargain! Hit this link to get a deal.

Please support the show by becoming a Soulmate. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like early access to new episodes, the video version of the show, no insertion ads and access to our monthly bonus episode. Sign up here.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: For possibly the first time, ML skips GOW. Listen and learn why.

ROOM 7609: In a nod to the way U-M handles scandal, as well as in awe of the weirdest music video ever, ML books Go West into the New Wave suite to perform “We Close Our Eyes.” Send us your favorite tune or deep cut or track from an obscure band – along with a story about the ditty – by writing to [email protected].

LATEST SOULMATE: Chris is our newest Soulmate, and ML gives a shout out to Nick … just in case he forgot to thank him for signing on a few weeks ago. Dennis also sends a generous donation – along with a lengthy note that manages to skewer everyone. To sign up for our Patreon supporters club and find out how you can get perks by supporting the show! Use this link: Get more from ML Soul of Detroit on Patreon

FEEDBACK: Rebecca, aka Becky, writes that she is, indeed, real. We welcome all your questions, comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US:  Support us on Patreon or make a donation via Venmo or PayPal at mlsoulofdetroit.com. Or drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show!

LISTEN AND LEARN: Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!! Your endorsement is very powerful! Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”

Erika, Marc and ML put the “fun” in funeral, as the show gets off to an oddly macabre start, before Shawn makes the scene and livens things up. Really!

STRAIGHT DOPE: ML wonders whether Marc should have put a disclaimer on the show before the intro, which is most definitely not “Arthur appropriate.” Then he wonders if Shawn hired actors to create the perception that he is a fan favorite.

ML is worried that Marc is mad at him after he sent a text over the weekend that, if you don’t know Radiohead, would have been more than mildly offensive. Erika assures him that the problem was really that it wasn’t nearly as clever as ML imagined.

After making a bold prediction about the results of the Detroit mayoral primary during last week’s show, ML takes a victory lap. Marc wonders whether he was still surprised by the share of the vote the top two candidates received. ML shared his take on the race to replace Mayor Mike Duggan in his latest On Guard column, which you can read all about for FREE by hitting this link.

Marc shares his “death wish,” as Erika and ML share their take on funerals and crazy requests people include in their wills. ML, for example, attended a funeral a couple years ago where mourners were greeted by two llamas.

Just as things are getting grim, Shawn bursts in like a ray of sunlight, to reminisce about the funeral of former Alabama governor George Wallace. Really!

Marc shares how he likes to live dangerously – but maybe not as dangerously as Shawn’s son trying to break the sound barrier in a Ford Flex.

Erika and Marc sound off on the Dream Cruise, and how it has expanded far beyond a weekend on Woodward.

Erika, Marc, Shawn and ML reflect on the fake IDs they once used to get into bars as teenagers. ML, for example, was once known as “Irwin Wilson.”

Shawn steals the show with the tragic tale of how he found out that the older woman he loved had forsaken his high school heart for a fellow collegian while attending the University of North Texas. And, yes, there is a Belvin angle to this story!

Erika has just one question for Shawn: "Whatever happened to the skank?"

When he’s not lamenting his lost love, Shawn writes stuff like this for the Free Press.

Looking for a great gift for a friend, relative or even someone you don’t particularly like? A Free Press subscription is a bargain! Hit this link to get a deal.

Please support the show by becoming a Soulmate. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like early access to new episodes, the video version of the show, no insertion ads and access to our monthly bonus episode. Sign up here.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: ML muses whether the Danish zoo that invited pet owners to offer their ill critters as food for the wild animals are this week’s geeks, or the people who pass up an opportunity to give Fido one last chance to contribute to the circle of life.

ROOM 7609: We waited two months to play the tune Mike waited seven years to hear. Listen to The Sultans of Ping FC play “Where’s Me Jumper?” and let us know whether the story, and the tune, were worth the wait. Send us your favorite tune or deep cut or track from an obscure band – along with a story about the ditty – by writing [email protected].

LATEST SOULMATE: Emily Elrick is our newest Soulmate, prompting ML to wonder why Marc’s daughters haven’t ponied up their allowance yet. To sign up for our Patreon supporters club and find out how you can get perks by supporting the show! Use this link: Get more from ML Soul of Detroit on Patreon
FEEDBACK: Teebs puts out a call for help. We welcome all your questions, comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US: Support us on Patreon or make a donation via Venmo or PayPal at mlsoulofdetroit.com. Or drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show!

LISTEN AND LEARN: Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!! Your endorsement is very powerful! Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”

Marc and Shawn wait for ML to return from Fox 2, where he dropped in to opine on the Detroit mayor’s race – and proves that you CAN go home again!

STRAIGHT DOPE: Last month, ML told the story of why he left Fox 2 back in 2019. Today, he was back at the station, offering commentary on the Detroit mayor’s race. Marc asks him what it was like to "go home." If you missed his hit on the news, you can read all about his take on the mayoral candidates in his latest column for the Free Press – and this week’s column is FREE.

ML makes a bold prediction for who he thinks will finish first and second in the mayoral primary. Listen and, if he got it right, remember you heard it here first. (If he got it wrong, forget this ever happened…)

ML recaps Soul Night at the Cadieux, where big-hearted Matt Riley crushed the feather bowling dreams of a 12-year-old, and a beautiful woman professes that she only came out to meet … SHAWN. (True story!!!)

While Shawn recounts some of the old TV shows he’s catching up with, ML asks Marc to debut a new drop that, if it were a cologne, would be called “Essence of Windsor.”

All you Nobel Prize winning physicists out there may appreciate ML’s cold fusion joke. (The rest of you can just laugh, in an ill-fated attempt to show how brilliant you are.)

The “Naked Gun” reboot has ML wondering whether it’s coincidence or some kind of cosmic plan that Leslie Nielsen and Liam Neeson have the same initials and are serious actors who turned to comedy when their career stalled.

Marc suggests that Neeson’s career is getting a bounce from his new girlfriend, Pamela Anderson, who Shawn says he would rather date now than in her heyday. ML and Marc are incredulous.

Did you notice the way the dude in the intro says “protein?” Is it just us, or was it weird. Or, as Shawn suggests, was he saying “protean?” And just what the hell is that, anyway?

The Free Press and News literally “STOPPED THE PRESSES” for the last time on Monday. ML pays tribute to the men and women who made the magic happen at the plant on Mound and Metro Parkway, while Marc asks ML and Shawn if they know the last time someone actually stopped the presses for a big story.

Shawn opines on the Tigers’ performance at the trade deadline in his latest column. Read it here.

Looking for a great gift for a friend, relative or even someone you don’t particularly like? A Free Press subscription is a bargain! Hit this link to get a deal.

Please support the show by becoming a Soulmate. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like early access to new episodes, the video version of the show, no insertion ads and access to our monthly bonus episode. Sign up here.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: Politicians who try to break our system for short-term gain are this week’s geek. ML explains.

ROOM 7609: Marc succeeds in his second attempt to book Dope into the New Wave suite with their cover of “You Spin Me Round.” Send us your favorite tune or deep cut or track from an obscure band – along with a story about the ditty – by writing [email protected].

LATEST SOULMATE: Susan, perhaps inspired by Vince, TRIPLES her contribution and Max and Adam are our newest sponsors. To sign up for our Patreon supporters club and find out how you can get perks by supporting the show! Use this link: Get more from ML Soul of Detroit on Patreon 
FEEDBACK: T Batts recaps Soul Night at the Cadieux – proving, once again, that he knows how to show a woman a good time, and Dawn criticizes ML “respectfully.” We welcome all your questions, comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US: Support us on Patreon or make a donation via Venmo or PayPal at mlsoulofdetroit.com. Or drop us a line at [email protected] find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show!

LISTEN AND LEARN: Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!! Your endorsement is very powerful! Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”

Join us FRIDAY at the Cadieux Café for Soul Night! Two bands, lots of great VIP experiences and free swag for Soulmates are on tap, along with Max Prokop and TWO of his bands. ML, Shawn, Erika and Marc will be there to mix and mingle.

STRAIGHT DOPE: This week’s outstanding intro sets up a discussion of what’s on tap for Soul Night at the Cadieux Café on Friday night. Soulmates – members of our Patreon supporter group – get in free. (Soulmates should have received an access code to the email address you used to sign up.) In addition to free admission, Soulmates get free feather bowling with the crew from 7 to 8 p.m., and some free swag. EVERYONE gets free Miller Lite from 8:45 to 10 p.m.

If you’re not a Soulmate but want to get in at a discount, save $5 on admission by buying your ticket in advance on EventBrite using this link.

Back to that intro, which is from the C. Thomas Howell movie “Soul Man.” ML, Marc, Shawn and Max discuss whether it could be made today. The rub is that Howell plays a white guy who pretends to be a Black guy – something no one thought twice about back in the 1980s.

Shawn wonders whether a much more recent movie -- “Tropic Thunder” -- could be made today, because Robert Downey Jr. is a white guy who pretends to be a Black guy. Marc and Max think it could be made. Listen and learn why.

While we’re on the subject of cultural appropriation, Marc asks whether “White Chicks” could be made today. ML and Shawn say yes.

Why is casting people in roles that don’t match their race, nationality or sexual orientation so controversial? The crew acknowledges that opportunity is one factor, then debate whether acting talent should also be a factor, prompting ML to share an anecdote about what Sir Laurence Olivier said to method-acting maven Dustin Hoffman during the filming of “Marathon Man.”

One thing we can all agree on is that Eddie Murphy’s Saturday Night Live skit in which he dresses up as a white guy is one of the funniest skits ever!

Musician Max opines on the poignancy of Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance with Black Sabbath. ML – with no disrespect to Ozzy intended – says it’s about time someone’s final tour will REALLY BE THEIR FINAL TOUR!!!

Speaking of dearly departed entertainers, Shawn recounts his encounter with Hulk Hogan last year at Detroit Lions’ training camp.

Marc recalls how the Hulkster’s sex video killed Gawker. ML loves the First Amendment – and is willing to tolerate some extremes to protect the routine – but even he says the news site crossed the line when it published Hulk and a buddy’s wife cavorting.

Shawn talks about his attempt to visit a psychic while in Las Vegas. Spoiler alert: The psychic didn’t know Shawn was coming! Here’s his column on the mountains, the mob and trip to Sin City.

ML mentions his latest columns on the mayoral candidate who was convicted of beating his first wife back in 1993. Read them here.

Looking for a great gift for a friend, relative or even someone you don’t particularly like? A Free Press subscription is a bargain! Hit this link to get a deal.

Please support the show by becoming a Soulmate. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like early access to new episodes, the video version of the show, no insertion ads and access to our monthly bonus episode. Sign up here.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: Listener Dawn picks this week’s geek, and asks ML if her choice should step down from his official duties until his case is resolved.

ROOM 7609: Max Prokop of The King’s English, Shasta Fox and The Smiths United debuts a new solo song and video, “Time to Run,” prompting a lengthy discussion of anxiety and the writing process – two topics that often converge. And Shawn confesses: He HATES writing! Send us your favorite tune or deep cut or track from an obscure band – along with a story about the ditty – by writing to [email protected].

LATEST SOULMATE: Nick is our newest Soulmate – and Vince TRIPLES his contribution. GO, VINCENZO!!! To sign up for our Patreon supporters club and find out how you can get perks by supporting the show! Use this link: Get more from ML Soul of Detroit on Patreon   

FEEDBACK: Mike Decent – who has an awesome DJ name – and Soulmates Thomas B (aka Yopar) and Susan LOVE Erika’s selection for Room 7609 last week. Sabrina asks ML about where Detroit mayoral candidates have laid their heads. We welcome all your questions, comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US: Support us on Patreon or make a donation via Venmo or PayPal at mlsoulofdetroit.com. Or drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show!

LISTEN AND LEARN: Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!! Your endorsement is very powerful! 

Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”

Erika sends Shawn to Las Vegas so he won’t make fun of her song selection for Room 7609, but Marc and ML pick up the slack.

STRAIGHT DOPE: Shawn somehow dominates the top of the show, even though he’s abandoned the crew for Las Vegas. Marc wonders who else would be so miserable about a trip to Sin City?

Erika drops in on her way to work to give ML a hard time about almost missing work on Sunday – when his investigative talents were required to get to the bottom of the Detroit Festival of Books. Read all about it here.

The OTHER big news last week was the affair between a billionaire and his HR director revealed after their awkward appearance on a KissCam during a Coldplay concert.  While it was embarrassing for each of the lovers, ML wonders whether Coldplay was the collateral damage because of the number of people mocking them ... for attending a Coldplay concert.

Marc confesses to liking Coldplay – but only the first four albums. Erika and ML wonder whether that makes him “record store guy,” lording his knowledge over something and dismissing it after it goes “mainstream.”

Billionaires are people, too… or are they? ML doesn’t feel sorry for them, but Erika wonders whether that extends to their families. A lively debate over what affairs do to families follows.

Erika misses Brad Edwards, the outstanding fellow Fox 2 alumni who launched “The Edge” before moving on to bigger and better things in Indianapolis, then Chicago. The crew decides they will invite Brad to join them for a future show.  

Tom Cruise’s obscure movies inspire ML to bust out some of his (worst) accents and Ireland stories, while Marc professes to possess only one outstanding imitation.

Erika confesses that she is the queen of movie criticism and spoilers. Listen and learn why.

Catch ML’s latest On Guard column, which explores the influence dark money is having on the Detroit mayoral election here.

Looking for a great gift for a friend, relative or even someone you don’t particularly like? A Free Press subscription is a bargain! Hit this link to get a deal.

Please support the show by becoming a Soulmate. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like early access to new episodes, the video version of the show, no insertion ads and access to our monthly bonus episode. Sign up here: http://www.patreon.com/c/MLSoulofDetroit

GEEK OF THE WEEK: If you hated weaponizing government THEN, but don’t mind it NOW, you’re this week’s geek.

ROOM 7609: Erika books Champaign into the New Wave suite to perform “How Bout Us” and ML and Marc get to do their best Shawn imitation as they mock the song and video. Send us your favorite tune or deep cut or track from an obscure band – along with a story about the ditty – by writing to [email protected].

LATEST SOULMATE: Tom B keeps his word and becomes a Soulmate, along with Johnny P! To sign up for our Patreon supporters club and find out how you can get perks by supporting the show! Use this link: Get more from ML Soul of Detroit on Patreon

FEEDBACK: TB/Yopar asks ML which Johnson’s Milk Depot he worked at. We welcome all your questions, comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US: Support us on Patreon or make a donation via Venmo or PayPal at mlsoulofdetroit.com. Or drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show!

LISTEN AND LEARN: Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!! Your endorsement is very powerful! Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”

It’s been 50 years since Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, and mob expert Scott Burnstein tells ML, Marc and Shawn he knows who did the hit.

STRAIGHT DOPE: Detroit’s premier mob expert Scott Burnstein zooms in from Vegas to discuss new developments in the mystery we’re all still talking about 50 years later – the disappearance of
Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa.

Before Scott delves into the mystique surrounding Hoffa’s last meal at an Oakland County eatery, ML reveals his mom’s brush with the mob outside their homes on Middlesex in Grosse Pointe Park – not far from where Bob Bashara later murdered his wife.

Shawn asks Scott whether there were any ties between the Detroit mob and the Soprano’s, and Scott tells the crew how local mob lawyer Neil Fink influenced the epic HBO series.

Marc asks Scott what he thinks about “The Irishman,” the Martin Scorsese film asserting that Frank Sheeran whacked Hoffa. Listen and learn why Scott thinks Sheeran is full of shite.

Scott says he knows who killed Hoffa – and ML is skeptical. ML cites some of the other times experts said they found Hoffa or his killer, but Scott says “this time is different.”

Listen and learn what happened to the restaurant where Hoffa disappeared – and whether you can still grab a bite where Jimmy got grabbed.

Scott is hosting a series of events to discuss Hoffa’s disappearance. The first is July 23. Find out more here.  You can read Scott’s work at https://gangsterreport.com/ or check his podcast “Original Gangsters.”

Before Scott goes, ML tells the story of his visit to Hoffa’s office at Teamster headquarters during his campaign for city council – and why it matters which couch you get to sit on.

If you missed ML’s latest “On Guard” column about a Detroit mayoral candidate who got in trouble with the Board of Ethics, catch it here.

Looking for a great gift for a friend, relative or even someone you don’t particularly like? A Free Press subscription is a bargain! Hit this link to get a deal.

Please support the show by becoming a Soulmate. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like early access to new episodes, the video version of the show, no insertion ads and access to our monthly bonus episode. Sign up here.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: It’s Conor Stalions – again – and ML gets support from an unexpected source when Marc pushes back.

ROOM 7609: Listener Thomas tells a tale of catching a young "Angry Al" Jorgensen and the Violent Femmes in Chicago as he books Ministry into the New Wave suite to perform “Work for Love.” Send us your favorite tune or deep cut or track from an obscure band – along with a story about the ditty – by writing to [email protected].

LATEST SOULMATE: No new Soulmates this week, but Thomas SAYS he’s going to join. Come back next week to see if he does! To sign up for our Patreon supporters club and find out how you can get perks by supporting the show! Use this link: Get more from ML Soul of Detroit on Patreon 
  
FEEDBACK: Jim O writes again – and is far less ponderous. We welcome all your questions, comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US: Support us on Patreon or make a donation via Venmo or PayPal at mlsoulofdetroit.com. Or drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show!

LISTEN AND LEARN: Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! 

When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!!

Your endorsement is very powerful! Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”

Soulmates, Assemble!

Ryan Ermanni’s new gig keeps him from a Fox 2 reunion with ML, so the newsman is forced to grab the conch shell (actually, an empty Timmy Ho cup) and summon Marc and Shawn so the news team can assemble!

STRAIGHT DOPE: Ryan Ermanni was going to stop by on his way to host his new show on WJR, but asks for a rain check because it turns out he’d rather do a great radio show at the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building than a mediocre podcast in a shabby basement.

Can you judge a man by his donut? ML believes you can, and tests his theory by bringing in some Tim Hortons for Marc and Shawn.

ML, perhaps unwisely, offers to invite any Soulmate who signs up for $100 a month (or more) to his epic, annual backyard beer party – featuring The Smiths United. In the process, Marc and Shawn realize they had not yet received THEIR invites to the gig. OOPS!!!

Shawn was on the road with the Tigers last week, but can’t wait to weigh in late on the debate over whether “Jaws” holds up 50 years later. (He says yes, Marc says no, ML unloads on Richard Dreyfus.)

Marc says “Jaws” makes him think of “Open Water,” which leads to ML reminiscing about the time he was almost lost at sea in the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a long (and old) story, but even Shawn thinks it was well-told.

A broke ML managed to backpack for a month in Australia by doing chores at youth hostels to pay for his accommodations and meals, prompting Marc to extoll the virtues of hotel living – and reveal his enmity toward AirBNBs.

Shawn is heading to Las Vegas for work, but unlike most folks, says he’s not a big Vegas fan. ML speculates it’s because he’s upset about where the dancers strategically position their feathers.

What is the biggest rivalry in college football? SPOILER ALERT: The Athletic says it’s UM v. OSU. Where does the sports website rank MSU-UM? And why the hell is Minnesota-Wisconsin ranked so highly?!? ML, Marc and Shawn opine on the seemingly low ranking of the Egg Bowl, the Apple Cup and a bunch of other rivalries with goofy names. 

The Detroit Tigers are roaring this season! Shawn returns from a week on the road with the Hometown 9. His one of his many outstanding stories from the road.

Readers of a recent edition of the Free Press can be forgiven for their confusion. On one page, the newspaper endorsed a candidate for mayor. On another page, ML reveals how she used taxpayer money in questionable ways. Then there’s Shawn’s column on the importance of Malik Beasley to the Pistons on the front of the sports page, which contrasts with the revelation reported about Beasley’s legal problems. 
Read ML’s column here.

Read Shawn’s column here.
Marc wonders how the Pistons apparently didn’t have a clue Bealey had financial troubles when his paychecks got garnished. ML agrees that if anyone should have had a head’s up, it’s his employers … who get the writ of garnishment!


Sweet, gentle Shawn ERUPTS at ANY SUGGESTION that people making MILLIONS OF DOLLARS are at fault when they BLOW ALL THAT DOUGH. ML and Marc beg to differ … while hiding under their desks.

Looking for a great gift for a friend, relative or even someone you don’t particularly like? A Free Press subscription is a bargain! Hit this link to get a deal.

Please support the show by becoming a Soulmate. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like early access to new episodes, the video version of the show, no insertion ads and access to our monthly bonus episode. Sign up here: http://www.patreon.com/c/MLSoulofDetroit

GEEK OF THE WEEK: ML has plenty of geeks, but settles on anti-woke Americans who love our country so much that they DEFECT TO RUSSIA!!!

ROOM 7609: Proud Detroiter and NoCal transplant Jim O. evokes TWO classic Casey Kasem drops and challenges Maz’s record for free plugs when he books the Old 97s into the New Wave suite to perform “Murder (Or a Heart Attack).” Send us your favorite tune or deep cut or track from an obscure band – along with a story about the ditty – by writing to [email protected].

LATEST SOULMATE: John TRIPLES his commitment to the show while Bitter Uke makes his first commitment. GO JOHN! To sign up for our Patreon supporters club and find out how you can get perks by supporting the show! Use this link: Get more from ML Soul of Detroit on Patreon Get more from ML Soul of Detroit on PatreonPodcast
 
FEEDBACK: TEEBS rides again! Dawn has issues – LOTS of issues – with ML. And Kat wonders if ML was cognizant of the tragedy that struck near his vacation spot before it made headlines.  We welcome all your questions, comments – and constructive criticism – at [email protected]

DONATE OR SPONSOR US: Support us on Patreon or make a donation via Venmo or PayPal at mlsoulofdetroit.com. Or drop us a line at [email protected] to find out how cheap and easy it is to advertise on our show!

LISTEN AND LEARN: Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!

SUBSCRIBE/SHARE/RATE/WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever quality podcasts are found! When you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (even if you hate it)!!! Your endorsement is very powerful! Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick”