NEWS & VIEWS
Advocates demand Nessel drop remaining charges against protesters
Civil rights groups are calling on Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to drop all remaining charges against pro-Palestinian protesters following her unexpected decision last week to dismiss felony and misdemeanor counts against seven demonstrators arrested during a May 2024 encampment sweep at the University of Michigan.
The dismissal, announced during a court hearing in Washtenaw County, marked a significant win for the activists and their supporters after months of mounting political pressure and
legal challenges. But advocates say the fight is not over.
“While the charges against the seven protestors facing felonies have been dropped, four defendants from the U-M Encampment are still facing charges at the misdemeanor level and three protestors are still being charged at both the felony and misdemeanor level for a ‘die-in’ demonstration on U-M’s campus last fall,” the TAHRIR Coalition student protest group said in a statement. “This unprecedented repression of activists is a baseless attempt to undermine the movement
for a free Palestine and to silence free speech.”
Attorney Amir Makled, who recently filed a motion for Nessel to recuse herself from the cases because of her alleged anti-Palestinian bias, said the dismissal shows that advocacy works.
“This was not about trespass, this was not about felony conduct,” Makled said. “We sent a clear message to both Lansing and to Washington, that the people still rule, and that public pressure compels the rule of law to be upheld. This case attempted to criminalize free speech, and today, the state
of Michigan agrees.”
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIRMI), a Muslim civil rights group, also applauded the dismissal but urged Nessel to go further.
“We welcome the dismissal of these excessive and retaliatory felony charges, which never should have been filed in the first place,” said Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR-MI. “But this moment demands more. All charges stemming from this peaceful protest should be dismissed.”
The felony charges were filed by
While the Michigan attorney general dismissed felony cases, other activists still face potential jail time.
DOUG COOMBE
Nessel’s office in September, bypassing the local prosecutor and prompting accusations of political bias. Critics noted Nessel’s close ties to University of Michigan leaders, including campaign donations from six of the eight regents and a co-chair relationship with Regent Sam Bernstein during her attorney general campaign.
Protesters have also drawn attention to recent raids in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Canton led by Nessel’s office and federal agents, which targeted students and activists tied to the pro-Palestinian movement. Phones, computers, and DNA swabs were confiscated during the searches, but no charges have been
filed. The search warrants, signed by a judge in Oak Park, don’t cite probable cause for the search, activists said.
The TAHRIR Coalition said last week’s dismissal was the result of “sustained pressure and advocacy” and called the case a political defeat for both Nessel and “American Zionism.”
In a statement, activist Oliver Kozler, one of the so-called Encampment 11, declared, “We won today, but our fight is not over: so long as the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine persists, so too shall we.”
Meanwhile, CAIR-MI raised concerns about outside influence on the judicial process, pointing to a letter submitted
to the judge by the Jewish Federation of Ann Arbor urging Nessel to remain involved in the case.
“The Jewish Federation of Ann Arbor’s unsolicited letter to the judge in this case is a disturbing example of improper political interference in a criminal prosecution,” said Amy V. Doukoure, CAIR-MI staff attorney. “They have no legal standing or factual connection to this case. Their intervention was clearly intended to influence the outcome of proceedings against students whose only ‘offense’ was to speak out for the rights and dignity of Palestinians. It is an affront to judicial impartiality and an example of how
Nessel defends prosecutions with false claims
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel lashed out at critics and made a series of inaccurate or misleading claims during a town hall on hate crimes and extremism in West Bloomfield Township last week, where she defended her handling of pro-Palestinian protesters and vowed to aggressively pursue new cases tied to the movement.
Nessel’s 16-minute talk on Wednesday marked her most expansive public defense of her decision to prosecute University of Michigan protesters and ultimately to drop the charges after facing months of backlash from civil rights groups, students, and progressives within her own party. But in her remarks, Nessel falsely described a news story, mischaracterized criticism from U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and took unsubstantiated swipes at fellow Democrats.
“So much of everything that happened in this case involves antisemitism at levels and areas that frankly I have not seen before,” Nessel, the state’s first Jewish attorney general, said.
She singled out The Guardian for what she called “really inaccurate” coverage and falsely claimed that the newspaper suggested a “Jewish cabal” was behind her prosecution of protesters. In reality, the article — written by veteran Michigan journalist Tom Perkins — never mentioned such a conspiracy. Instead, it outlined Nessel’s close political and financial ties to U-M regents who pressed for criminal charges after local prosecutors declined to act.
political interests attempt to weaponize the legal system against dissenting voices.”
Walid said the remaining charges must be dropped.
“These prosecutions appear to have been driven not by law but by a desire to silence students and community members calling for the recognition of Palestinian human rights and accountability from the University of Michigan for its investments in Israeli weapons manufacturers,” Walid said. “The continued prosecution of these individuals is a stain on our state’s commitment to civil liberties and equal justice.”
—Steve Neavling
Perkins, a Metro Times contributor, added, “Obv these are the ramblings of a person who just got drubbed in court. See my investigation that says nothing about cabals here.”
According to that report, six of eight regents donated more than $33,000 combined to Nessel’s campaigns, one co-chaired her 2018 run for attorney general, and her office later hired his law firm for state work.
Nessel said the cases were not the result of “Jewish influence” but rather because U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell was the one who brought the cases to her attention, a claim that people close to Dingell vehemently deny.
“It was not the Jewish cabal … It was Debbie Dingell,” Nessel said. “It’s not unusual for a congressional representative to call up the Department of Attorney General and say, ‘I’m really worried about what I see as criminal activity occurring.’”
Dingell declined a request for comment, but sources close to her say no such conversation ever took place.
Records also show it was Nessel’s office that first offered assistance to U-M. In a May 2024 letter to the university’s general counsel, the attorney general’s office wrote, “Because the DAG has state-wide criminal authority to bring charges, we are ideally situated to review any potential cases.”
Nessel insisted the prosecutions were based on actions, not beliefs.
“We don’t charge people based on their cause,” she said. “We charge people based on their actions, and that action has to be criminal in nature.”
She criticized the judge overseeing the dismissed cases for refusing to issue rulings on key motions and for consid-
After watching a video of Nessel’s talk, Perkins defended his reporting. “Here’s @MIAttyGen Dana Nessel claiming I reported that ‘the Jews’ and the ‘Jewish cabal’ were behind her unprecedented involvement in the u-m protest cases,” Perkins wrote on social media. “My investigation revealed her extensive personal/financial/political connections to the regents.”
ering a request to disqualify her office. Nessel claimed the motion, which was filed by a defense attorney, was part of a broader attack on her identity.
“And yet the first Jewish attorney general in the state of Michigan — the motion said — could not be fair to these defendants because they were pro-Palestinian activists,” she said.
Nessel also criticized Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, based on a story published by Metro Times. In an interview, Tlaib raised concerns about Nessel’s role in the case, pointing out that Nessel hadn’t brought charges in similar cases involving other protesters and questioned whether political bias influenced the decision. Legal experts echoed those concerns.
Nessel repeated Tlaib’s concerns about bias after the attorney general suggested months ago – without evidence – that the congresswoman had made antisemetic statements in the past.
But Tlaib never mentioned Nessel’s religion. In comments to Metro Times, the congresswoman said Nessel hadn’t brought charges in similar cases involving other protesters and questioned whether political bias influenced the decision. Legal experts have echoed those concerns.
Nessel also complained that the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor was being “investigated” by the court for submitting a public letter of support for her prosecution of pro-Palestinian protesters, calling it “horrifying.”
“Now we’re at a point where the Jewish attorney general is being investigated. The Jewish Federation is being investigated. Everyone is on trial except for the defendants,” Nessel said.
The attorney general portrayed the protesters as violent, saying some “threw tables and chairs at police” and refused
to comply with orders to clear the encampment, which she said was surrounded by chicken wire and deemed a fire hazard by local officials.
Her description stood in stark contrast to accounts from civil rights attorneys, who have argued that many students were peaceful and that the police response was disproportionate. Attorneys representing students also pointed out that other protests, including sports celebrations that damaged property, did not result in similar prosecutions.
Civil rights activists have said Nessel’s disproportionate attention to proPalestinian protest cases raises fears of political targeting.
In April, Nessel’s office carried out a series of controversial raids targeting nine pro-Palestinian activists, seizing electronics and DNA samples without filing charges. Critics called the raids politically motivated.
Despite dropping the original charges connected to the protests, Nessel made clear she would not back down from pursuing future cases tied to pro-Palestinian activism, particularly alleged vandalism.
“Here me when I say that I plan to vigorously pursue charges in those very serious cases,” Nessel said. “And if there is another attempt to remove me from the cases because a Jewish prosecutor can’t possibly be fair in prosecuting criminal conduct, then I am willing to fight and I will take it all the way to the Supreme Court if I have to.”
Her remarks drew resounding applause from the crowd.
“This should not be a signal that I’m not going to be a tenacious advocate on behalf of law and order,” Nessel said. “I’m not expected to be a neutral party. I’m an advocate on behalf of crime victims.”
—Steve Neavling
Medicaid cuts could strip health care from 750k Michiganders
Proposed federal Medicaid cuts could strip health care from 750,000 Michiganders and drain billions of dollars from the state’s hospitals, threatening access to care for pregnant women, people with disabilities, and residents in rural areas, according to a new report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The report, released Friday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office, warns that Republican-backed proposals to slash $880 billion from Medicaid nationwide would cause “undue hardship” for the state’s most vulnerable residents and undermine Michigan’s health care system and economy.
Medicaid covers 45% of all births in Michigan and gives thousands of pregnant women access to essential prenatal care, medications, and medical procedures that support healthy pregnancies and safer deliveries.
“Proposed cuts could terminate health care for 750,000 of our friends, family, and neighbors, including many pregnant women and Michiganders with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to access basic and lifesaving care,” Whitmer said in a statement. “If these cuts go through, new parents would lose access to basic and lifesaving care. This is about protecting women’s health and ensuring Michiganders with disabilities can live with dignity and support.”
In Michigan, more than 2.6 million people rely on Medicaid. That includes more than 1 million children, 300,000 people with disabilities, and nearly half of all pregnant women. The Healthy Michigan Plan, the state’s Medicaid
expansion program, provides coverage to an additional 750,000 low-income adults.
The cuts would disproportionately affect rural areas, where more than 60% of births are paid for by Medicaid. In those regions, hospitals rely heavily on the program to keep essential services like labor and delivery units open. According to the report, reduced funding could force closures, creating so-called “maternity care deserts” and forcing pregnant women to drive long distances for prenatal and emergency care.
State health officials warned the cuts would reverse a decade of progress. Since Medicaid expansion in 2014, uncompensated hospital care in Michigan has dropped by more than 50%, and the state’s uninsured rate has fallen to just over 5%. Without federal funding, officials say many hospitals, particularly in small towns and rural communities, could be forced to shut down or eliminate services.
The report also highlights the impact on people with disabilities, many of whom rely on Medicaid-funded home and community-based services for transportation, personal care, and energy assistance. Roughly $1.5 billion in Medicaid funding supports those programs each year. Cuts could force more people into institutions or hospitals, which are more costly and often less effective.
Medicare also provides funding for students with disabilities.
“Specifically, Medicaid ensures that they have access to vital health services such as counseling, speech therapy,
nursing care, and mental health support directly at school,” Julie Shaw, director of the Superior Alliance for Independent Living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, said. “Cuts to Medicaid could terminate these services, resulting in many students struggling to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
She adds, “Medicaid cuts threaten essential services that empower individuals to live with dignity, independence, and inclusion. We must invest in people, not abandon them.”
The report was issued by Whitmer in response to proposals in Congress to dramatically reduce Medicaid spending and restructure how states receive federal funding. Some of the changes under consideration include reducing the federal matching rate for Medicaid expansion, imposing work requirements, capping provider taxes, and replacing open-ended federal support with fixed block grants or per capita caps.
According to state projections, these changes would cost Michigan more than $1 billion annually. Without new state funding to make up the difference, the state would be forced to scale back or eliminate coverage for hundreds of thousands of people.
“Nearly 40% of Michigan adults on Medicaid could lose their health care due to administrative barriers tied to work requirements alone,” the report states, adding that most of those at risk already meet the requirements but may lose coverage due to bureaucratic complexity and reporting issues.
Health care providers also stand to lose. Michigan’s hospitals receive nearly
$7 billion in Medicaid funding annually, or roughly 20% of their net patient revenue. If provider taxes are limited or eliminated, hospitals could lose more than $2.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements, forcing job cuts and closures, especially in underserved communities.
The cuts would also ripple through the state’s economy. Michigan’s health care industry is the largest private employer in the state, with an annual economic impact of $77 billion. Medicaid expansion has created more than 30,000 jobs, according to the report, and contributes an estimated $150 million in tax revenue annually.
“These Medicaid cuts are a direct attack on the ability of Michiganders to build and protect their families,” Stephanie Jones, Executive Director of Michigan Fertility Alliance, said. “Fertility healthcare, prenatal care, and pregnancy support are not luxuries — they are essential healthcare. Stripping away access will force people to delay or forgo care altogether, including routine screenings that safeguard fertility, especially in rural and underserved communities. The result will be more infertility, more pregnancy complications, and more families left without options. We cannot stand by while the health and futures of thousands are jeopardized.”
The Whitmer administration has urged Congress to abandon the proposed cuts and instead strengthen Medicaid by extending federal subsidies, expanding services like telehealth, and continuing to invest in programs that improve access to care.
—Steve Neavling
Michigan prison population hits 30-year low, recidivism drops
Michigan’s prison population has fallen to its lowest level in more than three decades, and state officials say the decline is no accident.
The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) reported that 32,778 people were incarcerated statewide at the end of 2024, down more than 18,700 from a peak of over 51,000 in 2007. The decline is part of a broader trend driven by fewer new court commitments, expanded parole efforts, and a sharp drop in people sent back to prison for technical violations, according to state officials.
The department’s annual prison population report, submitted to the Legislature in March, shows that the system is now operating at 95.5% of its capacity, with more than 1,500 beds available across 26 facilities. The
number of people on parole has fallen by 60% from its peak in 2009, and the probation population is down nearly 46% from its 2010 high.
Perhaps most notably, Michigan’s recidivism rate — the share of people who return to prison within three years of release — has dropped to 22.7%, the second-lowest in state history. For those who complete the state’s Vocational Village trades program, that rate falls even further, to just 12%.
“These tremendous figures prove the impact MDOC is having on enhancing public safety in our communities,” Russ Marlan, deputy director of field operations, said in a statement Wednesday. “What we are doing is working — implementing evidencebased practices and focusing on
helping people become successful contributors to society is the best way to improve public safety in the longterm.”
Key drivers of the population decline include a 6% decrease in prison intake from 2023, led by a decline in probation violators being sentenced to prison. Technical parole violations –people returned to prison not for new crimes but for breaking supervision rules — have held steady at a 40-year low, down 74% from their 2002 high. MDOC also reported a 5.7% rise in parole movements in 2024, the first major increase since 2016. That shift helped further reduce the prison population, even as parole grant rates slightly declined. The report anticipates parole numbers will rise modestly again in 2025 before tapering off.
“This report shows our evidencebased practices are working, as total population and recidivism rate numbers continue to remain at historic lows,” MDOC Director Heidi Washington said.
The cost savings are also substantial. With the average annual cost of incarceration nearing $50,000 per person, every successful reentry adds up. Fewer people in prison means more money available for programs, education, and rehabilitation efforts that further support long-term public safety, MDOC officials said.
State projections suggest the downward trend will continue gradually through 2029, as long as no major changes in sentencing laws or criminal justice policy reverse the course.
—Steve Neavling
Concert Guide
The AreThA FrAnklin AmphiTheATre celebrATes Four decAdes hosTing riverside concerTs
by kAhn sAnTori dAvison
In the 1980s, Detroit mayor Coleman A. Young decided he wanted to establish an outdoor amphitheater on Detroit’s riverfront. He wanted something that city residents could enjoy, and hoped it could rival the Pine Knob amphitheater in suburban Clarkston.
“You know, the pitch was to create more access to the river for the citizens,” says Shahida Mausi, who was the executive director of the City of Detroit Council of the Arts at the time. “And so it began with three linked riverfront parks, and Chene Park was one of those.”
Now known as Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Chene Park launched in 1985. Mausi produced and scheduled its inaugural Wednesday night series, with tickets priced around $5. She admits she and Mayor Young really didn’t know what to expect.
“One of those first concerts was
with a woman by the name of Carmen McRae,” Mausi says. McRare was a highly regarded jazz singer, but the performance was stalled that afternoon by some stubborn Detroit rain showers. Surprisingly, the crowd waited for the rain to pass and eventually McRae was able to take the stage.
“Six thousand people came with umbrellas and whatnot and sat on the wet grass and waited to see her,” Mausi says.
“When the rain stopped, we pulled the piano out and she did a fabulous concert,’” Mausi adds. “And at that point, the mayor said, ‘Well, maybe we’ve got something here, let’s build it out.’”
Seats were installed, and the park went on to be expanded three different times. (Due to logistics and architectural limitations, it was
impossible for it to be built out to the size of Pine Knob, which holds 15,000.) Mausi oversaw programming for the first three years, and over the next two decades Chene Park began to host regular concerts every summer — including jazz, R&B, techno, hip-hop, rock, and more.
In 2004, Mausi’s company the Right Productions won a bid to be the governing body over all the programming at Chene Park. The opportunity was important to her, she says, as she was there since the beginning.
“You know, it’s a special place,” she says. “It’s a beautiful place. So when the opportunity arose to bid as a for-profit company to manage and operate it, that’s something that I just really wanted to do.”
The Right Productions has always been a family effort, as Mausi’s sons Sulaiman, Malik, Rashid, Dorian, as
well as her former husband Sundiata, have all played intricate roles in production, marketing, and maintenance over the years. The family structure has helped them survive the tough times such as the 20082009 recession and most recently the 2020 pandemic.
“It was more than just a job, you know,” says Dorian, who started working there as a teenager. “It’s not a paycheck, it’s a family business. And so that gives you an extra added push [to] stick with it, if you will, to help push it through.”
Chene Park has hosted its share of memorable nights over the past 40 years, including performances by the Roots, Erykah Badu, and the White Stripes, but Mausi says it would be hard to top its 30th anniversary celebration held on August 21, 2015. The show featured Ron Isley and was
highlighted by a spectacular set by Detroit’s own Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
“Her performance was special,” Mausi says. “She played well beyond curfew into the night and her band members commented on the fact that this was not an ordinary show.”
Franklin passed away three years later, almost to the date, on August 16, 2018 at age 76. Chene Park hosted a wake the day before the funeral that was attended by entertainment and political heavyweights including Tyler Perry, Jennnifer Hudson, Maxine Waters, Jesse Jackson, and Louis Farrakhan. The next day at the funeral, Mayor Mike Duggan announced Chene Park was going to be renamed The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, now affectionately referred to as “The Aretha.” Mausi didn’t know the announcement was coming, but was honored to bring
the name change to fruition
“The shouldering of that responsibility, to carry that name, that mantle, is significant,” Mausi says. “[Aretha Franklin] deserved and deserves tremendous respect.”
Although Mausi is proud of the hundreds of concerts her family has brought to the residents of Detroit, she’s just as proud of the stable employment she’s provided by hiring up to 300 workers each summer. The Right Productions is also the biggest African American-owned production company that operates a 6,000-capacity theater. In recent years some of Detroit’s primary live entertainment venues have gone corporate: Live Nation Entertainment owns both Saint Andrew’s Hall and the Fillmore, while AEG Presents have an exclusive operating and booking agreement for the Masonic Temple’s venues. This
has made things more competitive, but Mausi is never one to complain or back down.
“It’s hard, and yet we persevere,” she says. “And I’m on the board of the National Independent Venues Association, because it’s important that we maintain venues that are independent, that are not under corporate controlling guidelines. It gives us more latitude in a lot of ways, more freedom.”
Moving forward, the Aretha plans to implement more rock and country concerts along with the usual programming of R&B, jazz, and hiphop Detroiters are used to. On May 23, The Aretha will kick off its 40th season with singer October London. “He’s putting on a little of our Detroit tradition,” she says of the Indianaborn crooner.
Other big acts coming through include Grammy-winning jazz wunder-
kind Samara Joy on June 4, country singer Jamey Johnson on June 13, and an “I Love the ’80s” concert with A Flock of Seagulls and Bow Wow Wow, among others.
Overall, it’s hard to imagine the last 40 years of Detroit’s live entertainment scene without the contributions of the Mausi family. The Aretha has sewn itself within the fabric of Detroit music and nightlife.
“We are humbled and honored to produce something that means so much to so many people,” Mausi says. “When we open the box office, and people spend the night because they want to be the first in line — that means they trust us to bring a quality product. And that’s awesome.”
The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre is located at 2600 Atwater St., Detroit; thearetha.com.
AP PHOTO/JEFF ROBERSON
dydurag, JMT
6/14: Provoker, RIP Swirl, Faerybaby)
6/20: jae skeese
6/21: Millyz
6/26: Premo Rice
7/6: Wavves
7/8: Domani
7/10: Tripping Daisy
7/12: HGG5, Bizarre, Foulmouth
7/13: Maggie Antone
7/15: Surprise Chef
7/21: BashfortheWorld
7/24: LaRussell
7/29: Late Night Drive Home
8/9: Clipping.
8/23: Vincent Neil Emerson
9/11: Slow Crush
9/12: Momma
9/14: Frankie Cosmos
9/16: Foxwarren
ElEktricity
15 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; ElEktricitymuSic.com
5/16: Badklaat, Subfiltronik
5/17: Deathhex
5/24: Lalaland, Nina Kraviz
5/25: Richie Hawtin, Joseph Capriati
5/26: Experts Only, Live From Earth
5/30: Kompany, Hamro
5/31: Artifakts
6/6: Caspa
6/7: Trxxed
6/13: RL Grime
6/14: Nothingxhurts
6/27: Cosmic Gate
6/28: Tsu Nami
7/12: Whales
7/25: Codd Dubz
9/5: Phaseone
thE FillmorE
2115 woodward avE., dEtroit; livEnation.com
5/15: Central Cee
5/17: Nate Jackson
5/23: Trap Karaoke
5/24: Shrek Rave
5/27: Dance Gavin Dance
5/31: The Head and the Heart
6/3: Thee Sacred Souls
6/5: Josh Gates
6/6: Jet, Band of Skulls
6/8: Josh Johnson
6/13: Sorry Papi - The All Girl Rave
6/19: Dej Loaf, Tone Tone, Trick Trick
6/22: Jessie Reyez
6/24: Ryan Adams
6/28: Devo
7/11: idobi Radio Summer School
7/19: The Swell Season
7/28-29: Pixies
8/4: The Struts
8/8: The Fray
8/12: Jessie Murph
8/16: Nightcap Podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson
8/21: Greensky Bluegrass
8/23: We Came As Romans
8/30: Streetlight Manifesto
8/31: Phantogram
9/10: Yungblud
9/17: Shoreline Mafia
9/19: Steven Wilson
9/23: Shaboozey
9/25: Bruce Dickinson
9/26: Marianas Trench
Ford FiEld
2000 BruSh St., dEtroit; FordFiEld.com
5/18: Post Malone, Jelly Roll, Sierra Ferrell
5/24: The Weeknd, Playboi Carti
5/25: The Weeknd, Playboi Carti
6/10: Kendrick Lamar,SZA
8/7-8: Chris Brown, Summer Walker, Bryson Tiller
11/15: Billy Joel, Stevie Nicks
Fox thEatrE
2211 woodward avE., dEtroit; 313PrESEntS.com
5/18: Anthony Hamilton, Robin Thicke, Vivian Green
5/23: Guy Manoukian
5/24: Lil Jon, B-Legit, E-40, Uncle Luke, Yung Joc, Lil Scrappy, Youngbloodz
5/29: Brit Floyd
6/4: Heart
6/7: Bloc Party, Blonde Redhead
6/20: Luis R Conriquez
6/26: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
7/11-12: Theo Von
7/24: Vince Gill
8/2: Earth, Wind & Fire
9/12: Jeezy
9/13: Bonnie Raitt, Jimmie Vaughan and the Tilt-A-Whirl Band
9/20: Ray LaMontagne
9/24: Louis C.K.
Fitz and the Tantrums perform at Detroit's Majestic Theatre on Aug. 9.
COURTESY PHOTO
Frederick Meijer Gardens and sculpture park
1000 e. Beltline ave. ne, Grand rapids; MeijerGardens.orG
5/30: The Head and the Heart, Futurebirds, Anna Graves
6/4: Chaka Khan
6/8: I’m With Her, Mason Via 6/12: Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Abraham Alexander
6/15: Rick Springfield, John Waite, Wang Chung, Paul Young
6/16: Diana Krall
6/18: The Revivalists
6/22: Gary Clark Jr., Lamont Landers
6/23: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
6/25: Wynonna Judd
6/29: The Psychedelic Furs, The Chameleons
7/7: The Verve Pipe with Grand Rapids Symphony
7/13: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, JJ Grey & Mofro, Dumpstaphunk
7/16: O.A.R.
7/18: Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, Kitchen Dwellers
7/21: Lyle Lovett and his Large Band
7/23: Guster with Grand Rapids Symphony
7/27: Dinosaur Jr., Snail Mail, Easy Action
7/31: The Australian Pink Floyd Show
8/1: The War And Treaty with Grand Rapids Symphony
8/3: Train, Edwin McCain
8/7: Mary Chapin Carpenter, Brandy Clark
8/11: Cheap Trick
8/14: The String Cheese Incident
8/17: Cake
8/18: Andy Grammer
8/21: Maren Morris
8/24: Umphrey’s McGee
8/25: Charley Crockett
8/28: The Crane Wives
9/4: Smokey Robinson
9/5: Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
9/11: Vance Joy
9/14: Rilo Kiley
lovinG touch
22634 WoodWard ave., Ferndale; thelovinG touchFerndale.coM
5/16: Gimme Gimme Disco
5/17: Smallpools, Rec Hall, Tana Matz
5/23: Emo Nite with Arun Bali
5/31: Phoneboy
6/2: Illuminati Hotties, Georgia Maq, allie
6/5: The Native Howl
6/7: Darcy Moran, WIPEOUT, The
18 May 14-20, 2025 | metrotimes.com
Telephone Poles, Trading Vices
6/11: Mei Semones, John Roseboro
6/13: Kyle Dion
6/17: Greer
6/19: Black Lips, Craig Brown Band
6/20: Broadway Rave
6/21: TOED, Strictly Fine, Sancho
6/22: Lauren Sanderson, Emeryld
7/6: Archers, Rivals, Of Virtue, Dead Eyes
7/17: Ezra Furman, The Ophelias, Phased Out
7/29: The Symposium, John Myrtle
7/30: Mustard Service, Strawberry Milk Cult
8/8: Nick Galecki, Yellow House, Remnants
8/10: The Greeting Committee
8/12: Ramirez
8/28: Girl Ultra
9/11: Mystery Skulls
9/12: Brooks Nielsen
9/24: The Super Carlin Brothers
MaGic BaG
22920 WoodWard ave., Ferndale; theMaGicBaG coM
5/14-15: MICO, Ashley Mehta
5/17: A Place To Bury Strangers, The Serfs, The Mall
5/18: Disciple of The Garden (Chris
Cornell tribute)
5/23: Lost Signals: An Electrifying Indie Rock & Dance Party
5/24: Jon Spencer, TY
5/27: Valerie June, Buffalo Nichols
5/29: Matteo Mancuso
6/1: Black Joe Lewis
6/10: Robyn Hitchcock
6/13: Horse the Band, Sweet Spine, Melted Bodies
6/14: 80s vs 80s: Mega 80’s vs The Square Pegz
6/15: Dean Wareham, Buga
6/21: Lamont Landers
6/24: Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs
7/8: Los Bitchos
7/10: Merce Lemon
7/13: Mekons, Johnny Dowd
7/15: Rose City Band, Powers/Rolin Duo
7/22: 7Horse
7/26: Satsang
8/1: LawLapalooza
8/7: Jeremy Jordan and Age of Madness
8/8: Delilah Bon
8/15: Kiesza , Bonnie McKee
8/17: Bearly Dead (Grateful Dead tribute)
8/22: JR JR, Ohly
8/23: The Smithereens with John Cowsill
The Frederick Meijer Sculpture Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids opens its amphitheater for concerts this month.
MICHAEL MORAN
9/14: James McMurtry, BettySoo
9/15: Amble
9/20: Hallowed Hearts: An Emo Night
MaGic stick
4140 WoodWard ave., detroit; Majesticdetroit. coM
5/16: A-Trak, Qurl, Slimey
5/17: Baroness, Dawn of Ouroboros
5/23: Max Styler, Rafael, Botez
5/24: Mk, Coco & Breezy, Dantiez
5/25: Odd Mob, Black V Neck • Sherif
5/26: Lee Foss
5/30: Merauder, Missing Link, Ingrown, Queensway, Bayway, Fatal Realm, Stop At Nothing
6/6: Sander Kleinenberg With Sherif, Aledro
6/8: Geordie Kieffer
6/9: Lords Of Acid, With Little Miss Nasty, Lucia Cifarelli From Kmfdm
6/15: Djirl With Dj Reezy, Andrea Ghita, Francesco Esposito
6/22: Caroline Baniewicz
7/18: Hayden James
7/20: Kentheman
7/25: New Bomb Turks, The Drowns, Saber Tooth Gary
7/27: Sematary, With Ghost Mountain, Hackle, Anvil
8/3: Spafford
8/9: Wesghost
Majestic theatre coMplex
4140 WoodWard ave., detroit; Majesticdetroit. coM
5/20: Nekrogoblikon, Revocation, Ov Sulfur, Brat
5/22: Grentperez., Rocco
5/27: Livingston, Braden Bales
6/3: The Menzingers, Lucero, Queen Of Jeans
6/4: Panchiko, Alison’s Halo, Clinic Stars
6/5: Orion Sun, Chlothegod 7/12: Decisions Decisions
7/25: Mc Magic, Baby Bash, Lil Rob, Antonio Cardenas
8/9: Fitz and the Tantrums, Ax And The Hatchetmen
9/17: The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Masonic teMple
500 teMple st., detroit; theMasonic.coM
5/16: Devin Townsend
5/24: 42 Dugg
5/28: The Wonder Years and The Little Kruta String Ensemble
Kevin Devine
5/31: Ralph Barbosa & Rene Vaca
6/11: Danny Go!
6/12: Lane 8, Le Youth
6/14: Smino
6/15: TajMo: Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’,
Abraham Alexander
6/20-21: Brand New
6/28: Voices of the Streets, Real Boston Richey, Babyface Ray, EST Gee
7/12: Sam Barber
7/19: keshi, Mac Ayres
7/29: Lucy Dacus
8/5: Men I Trust, strongboi
8/8: In This Moment, Wargasm, Kat
Von D, The Pretty Wild 8/21: LCD Soundsystem
MeadoW Brook aMphitheatre
3554 Walton Blvd., rochester hills; MeadoWBrookaMphithe atre.coM
5/25: The Beach Boys
6/15: Hauser, Caroline Campbell, Amy Manford
6/26: Dispatch, June Butler, G. Love & Special Sauce, Donavon Frankenreiter
6/6: The Music of John Williams with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
7/11: Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, Spin Doctors
7/19: Buddy Guy, Taj Farrant, Mathias Lattin
8/9: Lord Huron, S.G. Goodman, Jackamo
9/5: Alabama Shakes, Sam Evian MichiGan lottery aMphitheatre at FreedoM hill
14900 Metro pkWy, sterlinG heiGhts; FreedoMhillaMphitheater. coM
5/16: Warren Zeiders, Tyler Braden
5/21: Teddy Swims, Diamond Café
5/25: Peach Pit, Briston Maroney, Bnny
5/31: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Vincent Mason, Wyatt Mccubbin
6/1: Pierce The Veil, Sleeping With Sirens, Beach Weather
6/2: The Driver Era
6/6: Mt. Joy
6/7: Bailey Zimmerman, Dylan Marlowe, Drew Baldridge
6/13: Mike.
6/14: Russell Dickerson, Niko Moon, Jake Scott
6/17: Counting Crows, The Gaslight Anthem
7/3: Babymetal, Black Veil Brides, Bloodywood
7/16: Primus, Ty Segall
7/22: Collective Soul, Live, Our Lady Peace, Greylin James Rue
8/3: Slightly Stoopid, Iration, Little Stranger
8/13: Cake
8/16: Goo Goo Dolls, Dashboard Confessional
8/19: Chevelle, Asking Alexandria, Dead Poet Society
8/22: Coheed And Cambria, Taking Back Sunday, Foxing
8/23: Simple Plan, 3oh!3, Bowling For Soup, Lølø
8/24: Rob Thomas, A Great Big World
8/26: Indigo Girls, Melissa Etheridge
8/27: Leon Bridges, Charley Crockett, Noeline Hofman
8/31: Ted Nugent, Tommy’s Rocktrip
9/6: Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Willie Watson
9/19: Goose
pine knoB Music theatre
33 BoB seGer dr. clarkston; 313presents. coM
6/11: Halsey, Royel Otis, Sir Chloe
6/20: Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Trampled By Turtles, Myron Elkins
6/21: Simple Minds, Soft Cell, Modern English
6/22: Keith Urban, Chase Matthew, Alana Springsteen, Karley Scott Collins
7/2: “Weird Al” Yankovic, Puddles Pity Party
7/9: Dave Matthews Band
7/16: Summer Of Loud Tour with I Prevail, Beartooth, Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, The Devil Wears Prada, The Amity Affliction, Alpha Wolf, Dark Divine
7/17: Pantera, Amon Amarth, Snafu
7/19: Kesha, Scissor Sisters, Rose Gray
7/23: Wiz Khalifa, Sean Paul, Dababy, Chevy Woods, Fedd The God, DJ Bonics
7/24: Kidz Bop Live, Doggyland
7/27: The Offspring, Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory
7/29: AJR, Goth Babe, Cavetown, Valley, Madilyn Mei
8/1: Cyndi Lauper, Jake Wesley Rogers
8/2: Barenaked Ladies, Sugar Ray, Fastball
8/4: The Doobie Brothers, Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band
8/5: Rüfüs Du Sol, Overmono
8/6: Big Time Rush, Katelyn Tarver, Stephen Kramer Glickman
8/8: Thomas Rhett, Tucker Wetmore, Dasha
You can catch bluesman Christone “Kingfish” Ingram on Sept. 20 at Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit. COURTESY PHOTO
8/21: Oliver Francis, JordanXBell
8/22: From A Second Story Window
8/25: Conan, Mares of Thrace
8/29: Emo Night ft. Flicker//Fade Live Band Emo Night!
8/30: Vicious Rumors, Labyrinth, Wanted, Cyadine
The ShelTer
431 e. CongreSS ST., DeTroiT; livenaTion.Com
5/21: DD Osama, Sugarhill Ddot, Star Bandz
5/22: Bartees Strange
6/18: Games We Play
6/27: Loving
7/8: Heart Attack Man
7/15: Dom Corleo
7/18: Anthony Green
7/19: Five Iron Frenzy, The Boy Detective
8/10: Broncho
Small’S Bar
10339 ConanT ST., hamTramCk; SmallSBarDeTroiT Com
5/15: Industrial Detroit: Jozef Van Wissem, Mission to the Sun, C.L. Lobbestael, Kenjiro
5/16: Origami Phase, Brief Candles, D_E.N_O, Low Exposure
5/17: Joey Ramone Birthday Bash: The RamOn’s, Greg and the Degens, Ramoaning, Suburban Delinquents, Love Fool,
Moronic Device
5/22: Christopher Owens
5/24: Nerf Herder , Diesel Boy, Keep Flying, Middle-Out, Bathroom Of The Future
5/29: I Set My Friends On Fire, Enthronment, Bleeding Trruth
5/30: Scott H. Biram, Volk
5/31: Winds Of Neptune, Blood Rune Sigil, The Velvet Snakes, Angel of Mars
6/7: Against the Grain, Amino Acids, Us Bastards, Busby Death Chair
6/12: Bastardous, Frank White, Whatever, Newburgh
6/19: Get Dead, Middle-Out, Cascade Riot, Duk Butter
6/20: Pigeon Pit
6/28: Tim Barry, Jeremy Porter and the Tuco’s, Timmy Reynolds
7/5: Murphy’s Law, The Take
7/24: Go Fight, Interface, Red Lokust, Sapphira Vee, Amaranth
7/26: Voyag3r, Warhorses, Stormfeldt, Forge The Sun
8/2: Luicidal, Termiinally Ill, The Hajj
9/5: Pink Turns Blue
WilDWooD
amphiTheaTer
2700 JoSlyn CT., orion
TWp.; orion.evenTS
5/30: Ladies of the 80s (tribute)
5/31: Rockstar (arena rock tribute)
6/5: North Oakland Concert Band
6/6: The Cure (tribute), White Stripes (tribute)
14-20, 2025 | metrotimes.com
6/12: Theo Gridiron and Friends
6/13: Red Hot Chili Peppers (tribute), Green Day (tribute)
6/14: Sadie Bass, Rob Stone, Brad Stuart
6/19: Persuasion
6/20: Toby Keith (tribute), Chris Stapleton (tribute)
6/21: Eminem (tribute), DJ Dirty White
6/26: Lake Orion High School Band
6/27: Guns N’ Roses (tribute), AC/DC (tribute)
6/28: Old Skool (hip-hop tribute)
7/10: Taylor Tucky
7/11: Mellencamp (tribute), Springsteen (tribute)
7/12: U2 (tribute), The Firewalkers
7/17: Wayback Machine
7/18: Aerosmith (tribute), The Black Crows (tribute)
7/19: Beastie Boys (tribute), Lö Standards
7/24: Yacht Seas
7/25-27: Tommystock at Camp Agawam
7/31: Stone Blossoms
8/1: Loudernow (Emo, pop punk tribute)
8/2: Journey (tribute), Foreigner (tribute)
8/7: 50 Amp Fuse
8/8: Rage Against The Machine (tribute), Limp Bizkit (tribute)
8/9: Michael Jackson (tribute), Bruno Mars (tribute)
8/14: Mob Opera
8/15: Beatles vs. Stones (tribute)
8/16: Taylor Swift (tribute), Mckayla
Prew
8/22: Bob Seger (tribute), Ted Nugent (tribute)
8/23: Kenny Chesney (tribute), Zac Brown (tribute), Miranda Lambert (tribute)
9/5: Van Hagar (tribute), Chit
9/6: Soundgarden (tribute), Pearl Jam (tribute)
9/19: Foo Fighters (tribute), Weezer (tribute)
9/20: Pink Floyd (tribute), David Bowie (tribute)
FeSTivalS
5/24-26: Movement Festival with Charlotte de Witte, Moodymann, FERG, horsegiirL, and more Hart Plaza, Detroit; movementfestival. com
6/19-22: Electric Forest with Justice, Tiësto, Zeds Dead, Khruangbin, String Cheese Incident, and more Double JJ Resort, Rothbury; electricforest.com
8/29-9/1: Detroit Jazz Festival with Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’rivera, Branford Marsalis, Kenny Barron, John Scofield, and more Hart Plaza, Detroit; detroitjazzfest.org
8/1-3: Dearborn Homecoming with War and Treaty, Third Eye Blind, Tigers Jaw, Stoop Lee, and more Ford Field Park, Dearborn; dearbornhomecoming.com
Detroit's Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre celebrates 40 years of enchanting riverside music this spring.
MONICA MORGAN/GETTY IMAGES
WHAT’S GOING ON
Motor City Comic Con
Now in its 35th year, Motor City Comic Con is Michigan’s largest pop culture convention with celebrity guests, cosplay, panels, and other fun fan events. Highlights this year include a special screening of 2009’s searing superhero satire Watchmen hosted by Silk Spectre II actress Malin Åkerman, a live podcast and concert by wrestling legends Jeff and Matt Hardy, and a special appearance by Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), among others.
From Friday, May 16-Sunday, 18 at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi; motorcitycomiccon.com. Hours are noon-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available starting at $35 for adults and $5 for children.
Panic in Detroit
Since 2004, punk rocker Timmy “Vulgar” Lampinen has organized a Panic in Hamtramck festival featuring selections from the local rock ’n’ roll scene. This year, the festival has been rechristened Panic in Detroit, bringing two days of rock music to the Old Miami. Friday night features Heavy Möther II (a supergroup including members of the Gizmos, Retail Simps, Rocket From the Tombs, the Cowboys, and Heavy Mother) as well as Lampinen’s Human Eye, celebrating the 20th anniversary of its self-titled debut album, among others. Saturday’s bill includes acts like Brides, Tyvek, Detroit 442, the Mahonies, and much more.
Starts at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 16 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 17 at the Old Miami, 3930 Cass Ave.,
Mi-Sci is free to attend this Saturday.
COURTESY PHOTO
WHAT’S GOING ON CONTD
Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Be sure to check venue websites before all events for the latest information. Add your event to our online calendar: metrotimes.com/AddEvent.
MUSIC
Wednesday, May 14
Live/Concert
Chad Price Coalition with The Raging Nathans, Norcos Y Horchata 8 p.m.; Garden Bowl Lounge, 4120 Woodward Avenue, Detroit; no cover.
CLASSIC LOUNGE SOUNDS w/ KESHTKAR & CO. second Wednesday of every month, 8-11 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
DeathbyRomy, heffy 7 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac.
Kickstand Productions Presents: MICO 8 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $20.
The Devil Makes Three 7:30 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $30.
Matt Larusso Trio and guests 8-11 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover. DJ/Dance
Line Dancing Lessons at Diamondback Music Hall! 6:30-10 p.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; $10-$15. Nightcap Detroit 11 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
Thursday, May 15 Live/Concert
Kickstand Productions Presents: MICO 8 pm; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $20.
Catbite, Rodeo Boys 7 p.m;; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $18.
Central Cee 7 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $40-$45. Demun Jones 6 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $28.25-$48.85. Dru Hill 8 p.m.; Sound Board, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; $59-$73. Little River Band 8 p.m.; Caesars Palace Windsor - Augustus Ballroom, 377 E. Riverside Dr., Windsor; $28-$73.
Pecos & The Rooftops 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St.,
Detroit; $27. DJ/Dance
Realms of Techno 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; $10. Karaoke/Open Mic
Drag Queen Karaoke 8 p.m.-2 a.m.; Woodward Avenue Brewers, 22646 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; no cover.
Elixer: DJs John Ryan and GEO 8 p.m.-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.
Friday, May 16
Live/Concert
A-Trak 9 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $27.22-$39.32.
Alessia Cara 8 p.m.; Caesars Palace Windsor - Augustus Ballroom, 377 E. Riverside Dr., Windsor; $28-$73.
Devin Townsend 6:30 p.m.; Cathedral Theatre at the Masonic Temple, 500 Temple St., Detroit;
Hourlies, Ladyship Warship, Needmores 7-10 p.m.; Reware Vintage, 2965 12 Mile Road, Suite 200, Berkley; $15 suggested.
Jeffrey Osborne 8 p.m.; Sound Board, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; $49-$63.
LAST CHILD (Aerosmith tribute), Tasty 80s 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $24.13.
LOUYAH 7 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; $29.10.
Michigan Rattlers 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $20.
Ryan Allen and the Full Court Press, Evin R. Daniels & John Nelson, DJ Zak Frieling 9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
Saddle Up Country Dance Party! 8 p.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville. The Summoning 2 featuring True Devil, Heartsick, Yesterday’s Hero, Death Cat 7:30 pm; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; Warren Zeiders 8 p.m.; Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill, 14900 Metropolitan Pkwy., Sterling Heights; $39.75-$69.75.
DJ/Dance
Culture Vulture 10 p.m.-2 am; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
Open Air Fridays 4-10 p.m.; Woodbridge Pub, 5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; no cover.
Saturday, May 17
Live/Concert
Baroness 7:30 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $39.42.
BOOTS on the GROUND! 8 p.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville.
Kid Kentucky and the American Badass Band (Kid Rock tribute) 8 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $30.
Life, Death, and Mozart: A Little Night Music and Requiem 7:30-10 p.m.; The Whiting, 1241 E. Kearsley St., Flint; Tickets start at $18; Genesee County Residents save 30%.
Magic Bag Presents: A Place To Bury Strangers, The Serfs & The Mall 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $20.
MIRADOR 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $30.
MUSTARD’S RETREAT TRIO 50th Anniversary Concert 7:30 p.m.; MAMA’s Coffeehouse at the Birmingham Unitarian Church, 38651 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; Admission $20, $18 students and seniors.
Oceano, I Declare War, Escuela Grind, Filth, Backbiter 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $28.
Pandora’s Box (Aerosmith tribute) 8 p.m.; Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens; $19-$210.
RockStar - The International Arena Rock Sensation 7-10:30 p.m.; The HUB Stadium, 44325 W 12 Mile Rd Unit H-160, Novi; 25-120.
SKA, FUNK, REGGAE AND SOUL @ ODD FELLOWS 6:30 p.m.; Odd Fellow Concert Lounge at Downriver Council For The Arts, 81 Chestnut Street,, Wyandotte; $10.
Smallpools 7 pm; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; Ten Years Gone (Led Zeppelin tribute) 8 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $15.
Twin Deer, Vanity Plates, DJ Lady Witch 9 pm; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
Vonda Shepard Concert 7:30-9 p.m.; Brighton Center for the Performing Arts, 7878 Brighton Rd., Brighton; 27.
YHETI b2b TOADFACE! 7:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; $20.
DJ/Dance
10th Annual Ypsi Prom 8 p.m.-1 a.m.; Ziggy’s, 206 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; $15.
Drama 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
Sunday, May 18 Live/Concert
anees 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $35.
Coco Jones, Lady London 7 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $50.
Detroit Medical Orchestra - “Legends”, Feat. RimskyKorsakov, Ellington, Debussy, & Tower 3:30 p.m.; Wayne State Community Arts Auditorium, 450 Reuter, Detroit; Always Free, Open to the Public, Suggested Donation $10.
Magic Bag Presents: Disciple of The Garden (Chris Cornell tribute) 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $17.
Phil Ogilvie’s Rhythm Kings 5-8 p.m.; Zal Gaz Grotto Club, 2070 W. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor; No Cover (tip jar for the band).
Planet D Nonet 4 p.m.; Cadieux Café, 4300 Cadieux Rd., Detroit; $10.
Post Malone Presents: The BIG ASS Stadium Tour with Jelly Roll, Sierra Ferrell, Chandler Walters 6:30 p.m.; Ford Field, 2000 Brush St., Detroit; $49.50-$349.50.
The Art of Love & Soul 7 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $79-$205.
DJ/Dance
SPKR BRNCH 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.
Karaoke/Open Mic
Sunday Karaoke in the Lounge 5-9 pm; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
Monday, May 19
Live/Concert
A Soulful Tribute to Grover Washington Jr. performed by Saxophone virtuoso Shelby Brown 7:30-10 p.m.; Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison St., Detroit; $35.
DJ/Dance
Adult Skate Night 8:30-11 pm; Lexus Velodrome, 601 Mack Ave., Detroit; $5.
Tuesday, May 20
Live/Concert
ALEX WARREN 7 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $72.50-$127.50.
Nekrogoblikon with Revocation, Ov Sulfur and BRAT 6 p.m.; Majestic Theatre, 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $29.50.
Sean Blackman’s In Transit 7-10 pm; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover. Karaoke/Open Mic
Open Mic : Art in a Fly Space 7-10 p.m.; Detroit Shipping Company, 474 Peterboro St., Detroit; no cover.
Tuesday Karaoke in the Lounge 8 pm-midnight; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
THEATER Performance
Detroit Opera House The Central Park Five. Anthony Davis, composer of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Music for this true story adaptation of systemic discrimination. This gripping opera follows the wrongful convictions of five African American and Latino teenagers in the assault of a white female jogger in Central Park. Despite racial injustice, resilience and redemption emerge as the five men fight for freedom. $30-175; Friday, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, 2:30 p.m.
Tipping Point Theatre Lungs. This smart, funny, thought-provoking play explores the life cycle of a relationship with all the hope, betrayal, pain and humor that exemplifies our modern-day love. Lungs centers around a couple grappling with the decision to have a child in a world fraught with environmental and ethical dilemmas. Presented as a continuous dialogue, the narrative unfolds in real-time, creating an intensely immersive experience for theatergoers; a truly moving and thought-provoking meditation on love, responsibility and the fragile balance of existence. $25-$55; Wednesday, 2-3:30 p.m.; Thursday, 7:30-9 p.m.; Friday, 7:30-9 p.m.; Saturday, 7:30-9 p.m.; and Sunday, 2-3:30 p.m.
Musical
Anita’s Elite Dance Theatre
Ride the Cyclone, The Musical. A darkly comedic stage musical that follows the story of six high school choir members who tragically die in a roller coaster accident. As they await their fate in the afterlife, they are each given the chance to tell their story and sing about their lives, dreams, and regrets. The show is set in a strange, carnival-like purgatory, where a mysterious character known as “The Amazing Karnak” serves as a guide, offering the opportunity for one of the group to be brought back to life. $15-$20; Friday, 7:30-9 p.m.; Saturday, 6:30-9 p.m.
and Sunday, 2-4 p.m.
Birmingham Village Players The Music Man. The six-time Tony-award winning Broadway classic has entertained generations of theatergoers with a whirlwind of laughter, romance, and toe-tapping tunes! Birmingham Village Players (BVP) is excited to introduce this beloved musical to a new generation. $30; Fridays, Saturdays, 8-11 p.m., Sundays, 2-5 p.m.; and Thursday, 8-11 p.m.
Meadow Brook Theatre The Rat Pack Lounge; $39; Wednesday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Thursday, 8 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday. 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 2 p.m.
The Back Office Studio The Stranger in My Breakfast Nook: A 90s Lifetime Original Musical Parody. Judith, Milton, and their daughter Andrea moved to Shouting Oaks in 1972 to start a new life after the hospital lost Andrea’s twin brother Andrew. Now, 23 years later Andrea has met the love of her life, Mat. Judith’s intuition can’t help but cause suspicion about this new man and his family. Based on the 1995 Bangs Magazine article “The Stranger in My Breakfast Nook” by Etna Pompeii, this show is rated PG. $12-$15; Friday, 8-10 p.m.; Saturday, 8-10 p.m.; and Sunday, 2-4 p.m.
COMEDY
Improv
Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest The Dinner Detective Comedy Mystery Dinner Show – Ann Arbor, MI America’s largest interactive comedy murder dinner theatre show is now playing! Solve a hilarious mystery while you feast on a fantastic dinner. Just beware! The culprit is hiding in plain sight somewhere in the room, and you may find yourself as a Prime Suspect before you know it! Join us for an event that is very different from a traditional mystery dinner show. Our actors are not dressed in costume and are hidden in the audience! This results in a fun, social and interactive evening suitable for all adults.
$69.95; Saturday, 6:30-9 p.m.
Embassy Suites Troy The Dinner Detective Comedy Mystery Dinner Show. America’s largest interactive comedy murder dinner theatre show is now playing! Solve a hilarious mystery while you feast on a fantastic dinner. Just beware! The culprit is hiding in plain sight somewhere in the room, and you may find yourself as a Prime Suspect before you know it! Join us for an event that is very different from a traditional mystery dinner show. Our actors are not dressed in costume and are hidden in the audience! This results in a fun, social and interactive evening suitable for all adults. Each ticket includes our signature award-
30 May 14-20, 2025 | metrotimes.com
winning mystery dinner theatre show, $69.95; Saturday, 6:30-9 p.m.
Go Comedy! Improv Theater Pandemonia The Allstar Showdown. With suggestions from the audience, our two teams will battle for your laughs. The Showdown is like “Whose Line is it Anyway,” featuring a series of short improv games, challenges and more. Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $25; Fridays, Saturdays.
Planet Ant Theatre Hip-Prov: Improv with a Dash of Hip-Hop; $10 second Wednesday of every month, 7 p.m. Stand-up
The Fillmore Nate Jackson: Super Funny World Tour (16+); $39.50-$85; Saturday; 7 p.m.
Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle Detroit to LA Comedy Challenge Kickoff Sean Fogelson is launching into stardom with an unmatched charisma. Starting on TikTok as That One Mailman bringing belly chuckles and joy to millions across the platform now going on tour with Gary Owen and doing the same to a live audience. He will tell you, “This ain’t no TikTok skit” and he means it. His stage presence is unmatched, engaging with the audience and delivering true, authentic and hilarious stories of his life. From Cincinnati, Ohio to TikTok and now live on stage! $25.00 Wednesday; 7:30-9 p.m.; Born in the Philippines and raised in California, JR De Guzman began performing comedy while working as a music teacher, which he quickly learned just meant teaching Taylor Swift songs to teenagers. He has entertained all over the world, having performed for Stand-Up Tokyo and ROR Comedy in Japan, the Jokers Ball in Indonesia, the Badaboom Comedy Series in Amsterdam, and countless other international shows. JR was the winner Stand-up NBC in 2016 & named as a prestigious “New Face” at Just for Laughs 2017. $30; Thursday, 7:30-9 p.m.; Friday, 7:15-8:45 p.m. and 9:45-11:15 p.m.; and Saturday, 7-8:30 p.m. and 9:30-11 p.m. Kevin James Thornton has built a loyal following with his hilarious, heartfelt and occasionally cringey moments of self reflection (with a splash of autotune) about growing up gay in a religious community in the ’90s. He has nearly 3 million followers across social media with combined views of over a billion. His first special “Be Yourself” was released by Comedy Dynamics and can be seen on Amazon Prime and Apple TV. $30; Sunday, 7-8:30 p.m.; $10-$15.
Ypsi Alehouse Jake Russell Live AF! The Theater Shop and UnClub Comedy Present Jake Russell Live AF! with Skippy Rose, Brandi Alexander and MC Lisa Green. $15; Monday, 7:30-9 p.m. Continuing This Week Stand-up
Blind Pig Blind Pig Comedy FREE Mondays, 8 p.m.
The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant The Sh*t Show Open Mic. A weekly open mic featuring both local amateurs and touring professionals. The evening always ends with karaoke in the attached Ghost Light Bar! Doors and Sign up 8:30 p.m. Show at 9 p.m. $5 suggested donation. Attached bar Ghost Light opens at 7 p.m.
FILM
Screening
Emagine Novi Watchmen (2009) at Emagine Novi with Malin Åkerma. Special Motor City Comic Con (Mc3) screening. $40; Friday, 7:45-11 p.m.
MISC.
Fashion Show
Not Sorry Goods THE SWEAT SHOP Live Clothing Customization Event Welcome to THE SWEAT SHOP Live Clothing Customization Show! Join us at Not Sorry Goods for a one-of-a-kind experience where you can watch our talented artists transform ordinary clothing YOU BRING IN into unique masterpieces right before your eyes. We’ll have artists available doing screen prints, airbrushing, and patchwork. ALL LIVE! Get ready to be amazed by the creativity and skill on display as our team brings your fashion dreams to life. Don’t miss out on this exciting event that celebrates individuality and style. See you there! $0-$30; Friday 4-8 p.m.
Art Exhibition
Opening
A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education College for Creative Studies Student Exhibition Opening & Sale. The 100th anniversary of the student exhibition, showcasing over 3,500 unique works from CCS students and alumni. From May 16-30, you’re invited to experience this incredible collection — featuring art across every discipline. Kick off the event at the ticketed Opening Night celebration on May 16, where you’ll enjoy live music, delicious food and drinks, and an exclusive chance to purchase student and alumni artwork. Public days follow from May 17-30, offering free access to explore the exhibition and support Friday.
Cranbrook Art Museum Family Workshop: Painting: Explorations of Shape and Color. Each two-hour workshop will feature a different theme, drawing inspiration from artwork in our collection. Together, we will learn about the artist’s intentions and processes before making our own works of art with guidance from visiting artists.
MUSIC
Homeboys Michigan Rattlers bring new synth-rock sound to Saint Andrew’s Hall
By Lee DeVito
In recent years, Michigan Rattlers have earned a following with a rootsy, folk-rock style. But for its latest full-length album, the Petoskey-based band of longtime friends — singer Graham Young, Adam Reed on upright bass, Christian Wilder on keys, and drummer Tony Audia — decided to mix things up a bit.
“I think we just really wanted to make a record that kind of pushed our limits and expanded on ideas of how we sounded,” Young tells Metro Times. “There’s still some upright bass on it, there’s plenty of acoustic guitars. It’s not like we said certain things are off-limits, but our big focus was just to expand.”
The result was last year’s Waving From a Sea, whose shimmering heartland synth-rock calls to mind acts like the War on Drugs or Bruce Springsteen, the latter of which Young counts himself a superfan.
“I heard his hits on classic rock radio, but I think just one day I kind of sat down and finally listened to Born to
Run all the way through, and by the time I got to the end [“Jungleland”] … I was like, ‘What the fuck?’ It was the craziest thing I’d ever heard. It completely exploded my mind, this kind of nine-minute epic journey. I think that kind of just reset the bar for me of what a rock song could be.”
He adds, “It was all over from there.”
To produce the project, the band enlisted Detroit’s Dominic John Davis, the touring bassist for Jack White — a childhood friend and fellow Cass Tech alum. The Rattlers and Davis were already on each others’ radars: Davis produced recent albums by Kalamazoo’s Greensky Bluegrass, who the Michigan Rattlers toured with.
Much of Waving From a Sea was recorded over the course of three sessions in Nashville, where White and Davis eventually relocated, mostly at the home studio of White’s long-time engineer Josh Smith.
Young says Davis and Smith provided a comfortable space where the band could experiment.
“They sent me a demo that sounded like a finished record,” he says. “And I told them, ‘This sounds great, a couple of these tunes could just be put out the way I hear them right now.’”
As producer, Davis encouraged the band to occasionally make do with what they already had, and parts of the demos wound up on the final record. “We tried to recreate them, and they just didn’t have the same vibe,” Young says. “So why should we spend six hours trying to redo them?” Instead of bringing in a session player, Graham busted out his old saxophone from his school days and played all the parts himself. (“It was sitting in the closet,” he says.)
Davis describes the record as “a lot thicker and a lot deeper,” than what the band’s previous work. “They’re referencing the War on Drugs and the 1975, along with Bruce Springsteen and Bruce Hornsby, these sort of giant, lush arrangements,” he says. “And it was really cool. They were great. There were a couple songs that we had to totally, like, re-E Street Band them and try to get them in this other box.”
Davis says he was able to catch the Michigan Rattlers’ Nashville show last month and was blown away.
“I was kind of wondering, how are they gonna put this off?” he says. “And they did. Christian the keyboard player is just working overtime.”
He adds, “They got a cool thing going on. Graham writes songs that mean a lot to different people. …he always kind of reminded me of a sort of Son Volt or Springsteen, really imaginative lyrics and characters.”
“We just tried to use the studio as a place to actually make a record, rather than just set up some mics in a room and all play the song like we would play it live,” Young says. “In the past, I think we were a little gun-shy and a little afraid of the studio. It was always, you know, we’ve got ten days to make a record, and if you don’t get whatever you want done, you’re shit out of luck. So this time we set out to create an environment that was the polar opposite of that and really just take our time.”
He adds, “I think the biggest thing that [Davis] provided us with was a sense of freedom and confidence to just kind of go for things that we wanted to try.”
Reached by phone on the road with White, Davis says he was encouraged to get into production work by White’s former keyboard player, the late Isaiah “Ikey” Owens, who noted Davis’s talent as a problem-solver in the studio. Davis says he took the Michigan Rattlers project on in part because he was already a fan of the band.
The band still considers itself to be based out of Michigan, though Young has moved to Los Angeles.
“Michigan’s got a great music scene, but not a whole lot of folks that leave Michigan,” Davis says. “It seems like we have all these people that sort of just burn circles around the state, but those guys have always been really particular about being a national touring artist. They only play one show in Michigan a year. You take notice of the folks that are touring and kind of building a following.”
In the studio, Davis says he and the band bonded over growing up in the Great Lakes State.
“It does sometimes feel like they’re not a local band,” he says. “But they’re diehards. We were in the studio two Lions seasons ago, and it was really interesting. We had the Lions versus the Packers on, and I’m trying to get stuff done ... they’re Michiganders for sure.”
Joe Hertler opens. Starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 16 at Saint Andrew’s Hall; 431 E Congress St, Detroit; livenation. com. Tickets are $27.50.
From left, Michigan Rattlers are Tony Audia, Christian Wilder, Graham Young, and Adam Reed.
PHOTO CREDIT
WEED
The Straight Dope
12 energizing cannabis strains you can find in Michigan
By Steve Neavling
Cannabis doesn’t have to knock you out or launch you into the stratosphere.
While many people associate weed with dazed stares or couch lock, certain strains have the opposite effect. They can energize, uplift, and keep you clearheaded enough to clean the house, get work done, or crush a few games of pickleball, as I do most days of the week.
Michigan’s legal market is teeming with thousands of strains grown by more than 1,100 cultivators. Gone are the days of settling for whatever strain your drug dealer happened to have.
Still, with so many choices, it’s not easy finding the right strain. It helps to understand what really makes a strain energizing. So before we get into my go-to strains, it’s important to clear up a common misconception about what gives cannabis its effects.
Most people assume that energizing highs come from sativa strains. But that’s an outdated idea. Today’s strains are almost all hybrids, and the
distinction between sativa and indica has more to do with the plant’s physical appearance than how it makes you feel. What really determines the experience are the plant’s chemical compounds, especially cannabinoids and terpenes.
THC is just part of the equation. Some strains also contain smaller amounts of other cannabinoids like THCV or CBG, which can create a more energizing or mentally stimulating effect.
Just as important are terpenes, the aromatic oils in cannabis that give it flavor and influence the high. Take limonene, which is found in citrus fruits. It’s associated with elevated mood and mental clarity. Then there’s pinene, found in pine, that is believed to improve alertness and memory. And terpinolene, a rarer terpene, often shows up in strains that feel light, buzzy, and creative.
All of this is why one strain can make you feel like you’re flying through a to-do list while others glue you to the coach, even if they both
have the same THC content or are marked as hybrids.
But one of the notorious problems with energizing strains is that they can be too anxiety-inducing. That’s
because the wrong mix of compounds can lead to a racing heart and spiraling thoughts.
I took a break from cannabis in 2020 because it started making me anxious. Later, I realized the problem wasn’t cannabis. It was the strain. I had been relying on a caregiver who only grew one cultivar, and that particular strain spun me out.
What I’ve learned is that activating weed doesn’t have to be jittery. The key is finding strains that give you a smooth, functional high without the chaos.
These are some of the strains our cannabis columnist goes to when he wants to feel inspired and more engaged.
STEVE NEAVLING
Super Boof.
STEVE NEAVLING
As someone who plays pickleball most nights, I rely on strains that help me stay energized, motivated, and present. While some people are drawn to energy drinks, I reach for cannabis strains that keep my body moving and my mind locked in.
Of the more than 200 strains I’ve tried since starting this column in November, these are 12 strains that never leave me sluggish, scattered, or anxious.
Carbon Fiber by Vanilla Sunshine
A cross of Grape Pie, Biscotti, and Cookies & Cream, Carbon Fiber is my go-to for an energetic, clear-headed high. It doesn’t rev you up as much as it sharpens you. You feel alert and focused. The high has no crash or fog. Just steady mental energy with a gentle edge. Great for work, errands, or going out with friends.
Sour Hawaiian Candy by Kai Cannabis
Need to break out of an afternoon slump without crashing later? Sour Hawaiian Candy gives you a smooth, upbeat energy without the jitters. It’s got a sour candy aroma and keeps you mentally engaged without overstimulation.
Lemon Tree by Tip Top Crop
A cross between Lemon Skunk and Sour Diesel, Lemon Tree delivers a bright citrus burst and a heady, dialed-in focus. The high comes on fast and sharp and is perfect for early errands or firing up the laptop.
Britney’s Frozen Lemons #5 by 710 Labs
This one’s made for people who want the energy without the edginess. A
vorful. Cream Smoothie is physically energizing but keeps your mind cool and dialed in.
Soap by Plant Nerd
A cross between Animal Mints and Kush Mints, Plant Nerd is known for its Soap strain. While the buds I picked up were small, they were still potent enough to keep me energized, focused, and motivated throughout the day. Its flavor profile is unique, with a mix of mint, pine, floral notes and hints of cheese and citrus.
Trop Cherry Cookies by The Hive
unique cross of Fruity Pebbles OG and Caps Frozen Lemons, Britney’s Frozen Lemons #5 is refreshing, invigorating, and aromatic. And at just 21.4% THC, this strain shouldn’t induce anxiety or racing thoughts.
Pineapple Burst by Michigrown
A cross of Pineapple Fruz and Kush Mints, Pineapple Burst is one of the best-tasting strains on this list, and it delivers an energizing high that is still mentally smooth. The pineapple flavor alone is enough to snap you out of a funk.
Georgia Haze by Nature’s Remedy
This flavorful strain combines a Haze phenotype and Georgia Pie to deliver an immediate mood lift without anxiety. It’s perfect when you feel stuck — mentally or physically. It’s a strain built for moving, not melting into your couch.
Gelonade by multiple cultivators
Gelonade is one of the most reliable strains I reach for when I want to boost my mood and stay sharp. Hytek, Local Grove, Kai Cannabis, and the Hive produce the best batches I’ve ever had. Bred from Lemon Tree and Gelato #41, Gelonade blends sweet citrus and tangy lemon with a smooth, almost nutty vanilla finish. Just a few puffs, and I’m dialed in.
Cream Smoothie by Voyage Bloom
Cream Smoothie reminds me a lot of Gelonade, and that’s no coincidence. It’s a combination of Gelonade and C.R.E.A.M., and it’s bright and fla-
A combination of Tropicana Cookies and Cherry Cookies, this strain keeps you active, inspired, and focused. The high is cerebral, but it won’t burn you out. And the dominant flavors of cookie dough, citrus, and cherries elevate the experience.
Super Boof by multiple cultivators
If you want a strain that lifts your mood without pushing you into overdrive, Super Boof is a solid choice. Named Leafly’s 2024 Strain of the Year, Super Boof is bred from Black Cherry Punch and Tropicana Cookies, and it’s easy to find. It delivers a clear-headed, euphoric high that’s energizing without being edgy. My favorite cultivators of this strain are the Hive, Kai Cannabis, Chronicseur Farms, Hytek, and Pro Gro.
Green Onion Diesel by Hypha
A combination of Chem D, Sunshine Daydream, and Sour Chem D, Hypha’s Green Onion Diesel delivers a euphoric head high that doesn’t
become disorienting. It’s ideal for getting work done, doing something creative, or just feeling more open and upbeat. This funky strain is one of my favorites for listening to music and doing chores.
If you want a little more kick with the risk of anxiety, Hypha grows a killer batch of Princess Peach, a sativa-leaning hybrid that packs a punch.
These are the strains I keep coming back to when I want to feel inspired, sharper, and more engaged, without the haze or anxiety. I’m always testing new cultivars, but these 12 have earned a spot in my regular rotation.
If you’re into live rosin, a flavorful and solventless concentrate, I recommend Mandarin Zkittlez by Information Entropy, Blueberry Haze by 710 Labs, Space Guava by Eastside Alchemy, Lemon Stank, Roasted Lemons, Strawberry Candy, and the Juice Man by Wojo Co.
Not every strain works the same for everyone, but these are a good place to start if you’re looking to stay active without feeling disoriented. All of them deliver a functional kind of lift.
And if you’re wondering what my choice for pickleball is, it’s Carbon Fiber or Gelonade. They keep me focused and dialed in. My reactions are sharper, my movements more fluid. It’s about being present and feeling connected to your body. The noise in my head quiets down, and I can lock in on the game.
Not every strain can get you there. But when you find the right ones, you’ll be hard to stop.
If you want us to sample your cannabis products, send us an email at steve@metrointhed.com.
Gelonade.
STEVE NEAVLING
Britney’s Frozen Lemons.
STEVE NEAVLING
CULTURE
Savage Love Hurt People
By Dan Savage
: Q I’m a 33-year-old gay man in a big city. I am currently in a fivemonth relationship with a wonderful, sweet man who loves me very much. I love him too. Prior to this I was in a throuple for three years. That relationship was toxic. I was the new addition to the throuple, and I was more in love with one of them. There were a lot of jealousy issues, and a lot of hurt that took me a long time to get over when I finally moved on. Truthfully, even when that relationship ended, I was still very much in love with my main partner from that throuple. Our sexual chemistry was unlike anything else, and the deep passion we have for each other was unmatched. But we did break up. And I spent a lot of time healing. And now I met this wonderful man.
My main ex from the throuple the one I loved most — just reached out to let me know that he and his other partner broke up and he wants me back. All of a sudden, my ex is telling me how much he loves me, how much he wants me, and how he wants to be my only partner — all of the things I would’ve killed to hear him say a year ago. I now find myself torn between my new boyfriend, who has done nothing wrong, and my ex, a man I love so much and have this INCREDIBLE sexual chemistry with but who really hurt me. It should be noted that I am incredibly submissive in bed, and although my new partner tries to be dominant, it doesn’t come naturally to him. My ex was fantastic in that role. And if I’m being honest, I have to admit that that kind of sexual play is something I need in a relationship. I’m torn and don’t know what to do. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but find myself in the impossible position of choosing between two people I care deeply about. Help!
—Tormented Over X In Chicago
A: “When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.” — Oscar Wilde
You spent three years in a throuple that turned toxic — or maybe was toxic from the start — and when it
ended, all you wanted was for the guy you truly loved to choose you… and he didn’t. So, you did what people are supposed to do when a bad relationship ends: you moved out, you moved on, you met someone else. And now the relationship gods have decided to fuck with you: the man you wanted is single and now he wants you and only you — so, your prayers have been answered, but a year too late.
Let’s rewind.
You joined a couple as a third as their third — but you weren’t a perfectly balanced third. You were more into one than the other, TOXIC, which you most likely realized going in. That happens in lots of relationships; even in couples, one partner is often more invested/besotted/ committed than the other. But an imbalance like that hits a little different — it’s more destabilizing — in a triad. If the partner you weren’t into could tell you were only tolerating him while not-so-subtly fantasizing about peeling off his boyfriend… that’s not just an awkward vibe or a price-of-admission power imbalance a person can learn to tolerate. That’s an existential threat. Whether the other guy — the guy your dream man just dumped — was always the problem or he became a problem when he sensed not just what you wanted, TOXIC, but what his original partner also wanted… it’s easy to understand why he was unhappy. It’s a situation that could bring out the worst in anybody you included.
Anyway!
Your throuple ended! You did the work! You found someone new! Someone kind! Someone who loves you! Someone you love… kinda… but not as much as you love the man who just walked back into your life.
As much as it pains me to say this because the only person we know for sure is blameless in all this is the lovely man you’ve been seeing for the last six months — you should dump the new guy. You’re already comparing the new guy to your ex… and the new can’t meet your needs the same way your ex did… which means you’re going to be thinking about your ex each and every time he tries and fails. And the longer you go on measuring the meh sex you have with your current boyfriend against the insanely hot sex you had with your ex, TOXIC, the more you’re going to miss your ex and find yourself fantasizing about what might’ve been.
So, while staying with the nice
guy sounds like the nice thing to do — while it sounds like the decent thing to do — staying with someone to avoid hurting their feelings only sets them up for more hurt down the road. But while you won’t be able to avoid hurting your current boyfriend’s feelings, TOXIC, you can avoid wasting his time by ending things cleanly and soon. But don’t move right back in — or pick up right where you left off — with your ex. Date him. Take it slow. You may have fantasized about being with your ex on his own, TOXIC, but you’ve never known him on his own.
P.S. You’re faced with a choice between two men you love — your ex from that disastrous throuple and the man you’ve been seeing for six months — and you’re hesitating, in much the same way your ex faced a choice between you and his original partner and hesitated.
: Q My dad is a dick. He’s been married to my mom for a long time. They have nine kids. I’m the eldest at 24, and the youngest is nine. My mom is a stay-at-home parent who has devoted her life to raising us kids and supporting our father. Lately, my dad has started disappearing. He leaves on solo international trips with no notice, sometimes without telling my mom where he’s going or how long he’ll be gone. She wakes up alone and heartbroken. He recently told her he’d be “offline for three days” while “traveling via China.” She was beside herself — my father has health issues, and he gave her no way to contact him. When I checked his iPad, I not only found his location, but evidence of years of affairs. I told one of my sisters, only to discover she and two of my other siblings already know. Worse, he’s been blackmailing and bribing them into silence. He’s spent years preparing for the fallout if he’s ever discovered. If my mom leaves him, she’ll be left with nothing. He’s made sure of that. I hate what he’s done to us. I hate that he’s a coward who won’t be honest with my mom. I hate how he’s damaged my siblings. But I also don’t want to destroy my mom’s life and what little stability my younger siblings still have. I feel trapped between blowing it all up and protecting the people I love. What the hell do I do?
—Despicable And Deceitful Asshole
A: Your dad is a dick with an expiration date — the health issues he’s neglecting — and here’s hoping the stress of leading a double life moves his expiration date forward. But besides rooting for the massive coronary
your dad deserves, DADA, it doesn’t sound like you have other good options.
Telling your mom means blowing up her life — and the lives of your younger siblings — but staying silent, as some of your siblings have opted to do, will make you feel like you’re enabling a monster. And it’s not just short-term fallout you have to worry about: when (not if) your mom finds out what’s been going on, she may be even more devastated to learn that the people she loves most in this world — her own children — knew what her husband was doing and didn’t come to her. For many, the betrayal of infidelity is made worse by the realization that they were the last to know… and if your mom is still dependent on your father when this all comes out, there’s a non-zero chance she could direct anger at you and your siblings that should’ve been directed at your father.
So, when that day comes — when the day comes that your mom finds out on her own, from you, or from someone else — you’re gonna wanna be able to point to concrete things you were doing to help mom prepare for life after dad. If I were you, I would encourage mom to get a part-time job — your youngest sibling is nine, not an infant — and nudge her to get her own bank account and her own credit card, so she can start creating her own credit history. Then if she projects her anger onto you when the shit hits the fan (or even if she doesn’t), DADA, you’ll be able to look your mom in the eye and say, “We didn’t feel like we could tell you when we found out — we weren’t sure you would want to know — but we were trying to protect you.”
And the next time dad is “traveling in China,” DADA, get on his iPad and gather up all the evidence you can: download incriminating emails, take screenshots of bank statements, print out anything that could document your dad’s financial schemes, etc. Then guilt your siblings into using the money your dad paid them to hire an experienced divorce attorney and a forensic accountant to look through what you manage to find. If it turns out your dad was bluffing — if your mom isn’t as screwed as your dad claims — then it’ll be dad’s life that gets blown up and mom who gets everything.
Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@ savage.love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage. love/askdan! Podcasts, columns, and more at Savage.Love.
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