Michigan’s economy may be down in the dumps and cash may be tight but we are blessed to live in a region where a vibrant musical nightlife can be found seven nights a week. And where else can you go out, get a beer for three bucks, see a show for five, and still feel good enough to get back up and do it again the very next night? Only in Metro Detroit, baby.
Metromode is pleased to bring you this night-by-night guide to going out and rocking out. Whether you’re into jazz, hip-hop, acoustic, punk or polka – it doesn’t matter. Detroit's music scene has got it all…you just have to know where to find it.
MONDAY
There is nothing that strikes fear into the hearts of local and touring musicians than the dreaded Monday night gig; it’s likely that most people are back to work, nursing that pesky hangover they acquired from the weekend’s hedonism. But the rock does not stop for the weak, nor does it take a break on Monday nights.
It's also why Detroit's nationally respected
Magic Stick wouldn't dare close their doors on the working stiff's least favorite evening. Residing above one of the country’s oldest bowling alleys – the Garden Bowl – the spacious, wood-floored confines of the Magic Stick rarely takes a night off from shows, and if the recent roster of Monday night music – including national indie-rock acts like King Khan and BBQ Show, Matt and Kim, Ladyhawk, and the Toasters – is any indication, you’re pretty much guaranteed a hell of a kick-start to a week of quality sounds.
Worth checking out: Black Lotus Brewing CompanyQuality open mic nights are no longer the domain of your local coffee house, as Clawson's Black Lotus (which, uh, kind of looks like a coffee house) has recently muscled into the scene. Of course, it doesn't hurt that you can sip one of their many tasty microbrews while taking in the sounds, either.
TUESDAY
In 1934, the Baker family purchased the space that would later be dubbed Baker’s Keyboard Lounge for 750 dollars. Little did they know that their minimal investment would lead them to host performances by jazz legends like John Coltrane, Gene Krupa, Chick Corea, Cab Calloway, and Pepper Adams, essentially igniting a scene that would later lead to the development of one of the D’s greatest achievements – Motown. Six decades later, the tradition lives on at Baker’s, where you can still see some of the best jazz and R&B acts from around the country perform in the club’s cozy, classy confines (keep an eye out for the famous keyboard-shaped bar!). Tuesday nights are always a treat, as the club hosts “Guitar Night,” where acts like Robert Lowe and Dennis Coffey and their trios showcase their flexibility on the six-string.
Worth checking out: Elbow Room
In that far out land that is Ypsilanti, Tuesday really is the new Saturday. Check it: You've got the surftastic Tiki Tuesday featuring the Tiki Tuesday band on the first Tuesday of the month, Direct Hits Mod Club playing mod and soul sounds on the second, the Cycle DJs (Blakguts and Joe Vargas) playing funk, soul, indie, and dance music on the third, and Club Fit's indie rock dance party on the fourth. Party!
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday ain’t called “hump day” for nothin’. We all know that come mid-week, it’s hard not to feel a bit beat down from Monday and Tuesday’s relentless pummeling. Which is why we recommend a bit of a break from all the noise, and instead an evening of quiet acoustic sounds at AJ’s Café in Ferndale. Every Wednesday, AJ’s – which was formally Xhedos, for all you latte-drinking hipsters out there – hosts an open mic night that is bound to give you the rest you need, and rejuvenate you for four more nights of musical mayhem. And who knows? The next Elliott Smith or, uh, John Mayer might unexpectedly serenade you as you slurp on some vegan soup and finish knitting your new winter scarf.
Worth checking out: Dino's
Who said karaoke doesn't equal live music? Seriously, it's being performed, by a human (or a group of humans), and it's live, as in, it's happening in real time. So get on out to Dino's in Ferndale and see what all the fuss is about. We call first dibs on Rick Astley.
THURSDAY
With top rap acts like Eminem, Kid Rock, Slum Village, Obie Trice, and Black Milk all calling Detroit home, it’s somewhat shocking that there’s not really one local club that caters exclusively to showcasing live hip-hop. With that said, Northern Lights Lounge – located on the outskirts of Wayne State’s campus – has been trying hard to mix in hip-hop culture amongst their otherwise rock and roll roster. One of their more successful ventures goes down Thursday nights, where the Sofa King Fresh DJs have their way on the decks, while patrons can sip beers or martinis amidst the club’s dusky decor. It might not be categorized as traditionally “live,” but watching Loup Garou, DJ Equad, Ohkang, O Nasty, and Charles Saddiq mix and scratch funk, soul, and hip-hop records is just as entertaining – if not more so – than any average Joe with a guitar and some angst issues. Plus, you can dance to it, which is a hell of a lot more fun than moshing.
Worth checking out: The Factory
One of the biggest complaints about Detroit venues?: There aren't enough strictly all ages clubs. The Factory in Rochester is out to change that, hosting shows by young, neighborhood emo and hardcore bands, as well as national touring acts alike. And their schedule kicks off every week on Thursday nights. This is the youth gone wild (respectfully, in Rochester, mind you).
FRIDAY
Without a doubt, Friday and Saturday nights in Metro Detroit offer up the most diverse and abundant options to quench your thirst for live musical entertainment.
Below are a few choices to ponder…
Have a hankering to rage alongside bands that spell their names with fonts that are almost impossible to decipher? Look no further than Harpos, Detroit’s long-standing bastion for all things metal. The sizable concert hall has been hosting heavy-metal and industrial thrashers since the 1970s (thought it’s been open since 1939, more than 10 years before the birth of Alice Cooper), and brutal acts like Down, Kittie, Cradle of Filth, and Septic Flesh are all lined up to rock the place in the coming months. Remember: if it’s not at Harpos, it’s not true metal.
But maybe metal’s not your thing, and instead you’re feeling the urge to indulge in the age-old combination of the blues and BBQ. If so, Royal Oak’s Memphis Smoke is the place to get your slow-cooked meat and down-and-dirty blues on. Showcasing some of the area’s best blues, rock, and R&B talent, including acts like divine local -legend Thornetta Davis, Memphis Smoke can make even the most uppity of suburbanites feel like they too were born on the Bayou. And, wouldn’t you know it: Meg White used to work here.
The blues, however, might be a bit too depressing during the tough economic times our nation is experiencing. If that’s the case, a trip up I-75 into Hamtramck could surely lift your spirits. There’s a ton of options to choose from, but when it comes to finding a bar that will no doubt be hosting some of the top indie-rock talent in town, then choosing the Belmont is almost a no-brainer. With it’s roomy bar area, constantly in-use pool table, and intimate stage set up (one that kind of looks – and feels – a little like a microwave) the Belmont has given a home to fledgling indies like SSM, Outrageous Cherry, Javelins, and the High Strung for a few years now. Plus, you can get a bucket of Little Kings for 6 bucks, and maybe even see a member of the Electric 6 or two slinging drinks from behind the bar.
SATURDAY
Perhaps the nicest – and definitely the newest – music venue in town belongs to Pontiac’s Crofoot complex. We say complex, because, well, that’s exactly what it is. With multiple floors – including the massive Crofoot Ballroom, the more intimate Pike Room, the versatile Vernor’s Grille, and the Eagle Theatre next door – the Crofoot is never short on bringing you various spots to catch some live jams (sometimes simultaneously). Everybody from indies like the Hold Steady and Girl Talk to locals like the Dirtbombs and national emo poster boys like the Higher have played here, and Saturday nights are always bankable for a good time at the Crofoot -- that is, if you can handle the sparkle-topped skanks and Guido haired d-bags spilling out from the other bars that line the Saginaw St. strip.
Some folks, however, can’t handle the scene that we just described, and are hard pressed to make the drive out to Pontiac anyway (seriously, gas prices, dude). If so, we’ve got a solution for you: How about PJ’s Lager House? Located in the D’s historic Corktown neighborhood, the newly renovated Lager House not only showcases tons of great local indie rock talent, but they’ve also spread their wings into the genres of hip-hop, blues, folk, and bluegrass. Oh, and the best part? More often than not, the shows are FREE. So really, you have no excuse not to go. (Hint: if you’re not feeling a band at PJ’s, pop down to The Corktown Tavern just a few blocks away, and you’re bound to see something cool there, too).
But maybe you’re in the mood for something with a bit more "oomph"…something, with, say, more balls. If that’s the case, we suggest checking out Small’s (it does rhyme with balls, after all) in Hamtramck. Sure, they’ll host the occasional indie-rock show from time to time, but really, Small’s specializes in gigs by hard rock bands like Hellmouth, Speedball, and Grayling -the type of groups who have probably ridden a Harley at least once in their lives and have no problem slicking their hair back with tons of pomade. With a dimly lit "rocker bar"-type drinking area, a pool room in the middle, and a live room that houses some of Detroit’s best sound, it’s no surprise that Maxim Magazine named them one of the "Best Live Music Venues" a couple of years back.
SUNDAY
Now that it’s Sunday, and it’s been a long, hard week of taking in as much live music as your brain can handle, there’s no better way to go out than at Detroit’s super classy jazz joint Cliff Bell’s. Except, you’ve already seen jazz at Baker’s, and you’ve had enough hard rock shoved into your ears to want to start a Metallica cover band. Thank goodness, then, for Sunday Socials at Cliff Bell’s. Catering to Detroit’s burgeoning psyche-folk and experimental country scenes – with a current calendar that features the likes of Kelly Jean Caldwell, Jarrod Champion, Sisters Lucas, and His Name is Alive – Sunday Socials transforms the bar from it’s usual flapper-era atmosphere to a trippy, backwoods-ian affair – in spirit, anyway. Also, it’s the perfect come down before you start all over again on Monday.
Ryan Allen is a Ferndale-based writer, whose work has appeared in the Metro Times, Real Detroit Weekly, and Detour-Mag.com. His previous article was Chris Johnston's Loving Touch.