Metro Times 04/29/2026

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Readers respond to the city of Detroit unveiling a street sign honoring Viola Liuzzo, the white Detroit mother of five who was killed by Ku Klux Klan members in Alabama after responding to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to support the Selma voting rights movement in 1965. The street sign was installed at Pembroke Avenue and Mansfield Street.

����long over due ! I hope her children and grandchildren come❤ She will always be a Wayne State Warrior ❤ —@verne_brown, Instagram

Oh my goodness! I’m crying. Thank you, Detroit. She’s one of my heroes, I’ve followed her routes to the point when she was taken from us, and I’ve brought

flowers to the marker at that spot between Selma and Montgomery. My mother was working in CORE DC when news came of Viola & James Reeb. —@splitrailfence.bsky.social, Bluesky

When a person decides doing the right thing is greater than capitulation…even or if it means they die for it….

Heroes die for justice. They do not kill for $

—@ruth-and.bsky.social, Bluesky

I remember when that happened. And I’ve never forgotten her. I’m glad she’s being honored.

—@mimgolub.bsky.social, Bluesky

Have an opinion? Sound off: tips@detroitmetrotimes.com

NEWS & VIEWS

He blew the whistle on a toxic dump — and says he paid for it with his freedom

By Eddie B. Allen Jr.

This is the tenth installment in “Exploring Integrity: Reviewing Wrongful Conviction Remedies,” a series examining the impact of conviction integrity units on the American judicial system’s rate of wrongful conviction. Presented by the O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism, the investigation is supported by Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

After 25 years of what he calls unwarranted prison time Tod Houthoofd’s reply lands like a thud of understatement.

“Not too good,” he half-chuckles when a reporter asks how he’s doing. Houthoofd, 67, might be more upbeat if not for multiple rejections of his case by the Michigan Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), despite questionable evidence and procedural determinations that led to his 2006 conviction. Originally sentenced 40 to 60 years for solicitation of murder in what prosecutors described as a request to have a witness killed, Houthoofd insists he’s the victim of retaliation for whistle

blowing on the job.

The convoluted case that Houthoofd and his defenders say led to a wrongful conviction involves elements that outwardly appear disjointed, such as:

A campaign for union leadership a misplaced driver’s license a cop posing as a hit man named “Chucky”

Among the most questionable factors in Houthoofd’s conviction is the venue.

Known as “forum shopping,” police investigators successfully advocated that Houthoofd be charged with solicitation of murder in Saginaw County after Arenac County — where the crime was alleged to have taken place — declined to prosecute.

“And when I got convicted, that was my appeal,” says Houthoofd during a telephone call from Muskegon Correctional Facility.

Arenac’s refusal to charge after repeated requests from police hinged on doubts about a key witness’s credibility, says George Mullison, Houthoofd’s most recent lawyer. Bay County, a federal district attorney, and the Michigan

argues that he would never have been charged with solicitation to commit murder if the case had not proceeded in Saginaw County.”

The solicitation conviction has punished Houthoofd with longer prison time than many inmates actually sentenced for murder, says Mullison. A former Bay County prosecutor, he has advocated for Houthoofd’s freedom for 10 years after initially representing him as an indigent defendant in a resentencing of 30 to 50 years. Mullison’s review of the trial led him to conclude, in addition to evidence he disputes, that Saginaw County’s prosecutor prejudiced the jury with statements offered as “background,” but having no relevance to Houthoofd’s guilt.

“You could convict the pope on some of that stuff, it’s so bad!” says Mullison.

Nine of 12 jurors later told the original trial lawyer they convicted Houthoofd because he was “a bad man,” according to a motion to overturn their verdict. The statements against his character, including unrelated and unproven allegations of violence by Houthoofd, should have warranted a new trial, Mullison adds. But following multiple correspondences and efforts since 2020, Mullison says he’s still trying to make headway with the conviction integrity unit about addressing the outcome, even now that he’s retired.

Attorney General’s Office also rejected police attempts to have Houthoofd charged.

A 2010 Michigan Supreme Court ruling found that Saginaw County’s prosecution was indeed improper, but called the issue “harmless error” — despite the fact that Arenac’s refusal to charge would have negated any conviction.

“And it’s not harmless,” Houthoofd adds, “because I was tried by a court lacking jurisdiction.”

In a dissent from the Court’s ruling then-Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly agreed, writing: “… even if I accepted the majority’s decision to analyze venue errors using a harmless error analysis, I would disagree that harmless error occurred in this case. This defendant offers a more compelling argument than most who allege venue errors; he claims that prosecutors in Arenac County specifically declined to prosecute him for solicitation to commit murder. This assertion, if true, would establish that it is more probable than not that the outcome would have been different but for the venue error … Defendant persuasively

A July 2021 letter replying to Mullison about Houthoofd’s application for CIU relief states that the unit “did not find any new evidence that illustrates factual innocence that has not already been raised in appeals.” But not only does Mullison maintain that his application on Houthoofd’s behalf includes points never raised before a jury, Houthoofd and others who’ve been rejected in recent years say the Michigan CIU’s “new evidence” standard has been inconsistent.

“When you got ‘em nailed, straight down, that’s when they change the rules,” says Houthoofd.

Danny Wimmer, spokesman for the Michigan attorney general and CIU, maintains that the unit’s guidelines “simply have not changed,” and that cases must show “clear and convincing innocence,” to qualify for CIU intervention. Wimmer says the unit determined Houthoofd’s case falls short of “new, credible, material evidence that has not been addressed on its merits by any court.”

“Our CIU has informed Mr. Houthoofd’s counsel numerous times of this necessary criteria and the claim’s specific deficiency on this point, including by letter in September 2025 to every attorney involved in this matter, on behalf of Mr. Houthoofd,” adds Wimmer. “Our office has explained this to Mr. Houthoofd’s counsel plainly and more

than once.”

Regardless of the CIU’s established guidelines for the timing of evidence, Mullison argues that lawful obligation requires prosecutors to act on a defendant’s behalf when innocence is established.

“I believe that prosecutors have a duty to see that justice is done, and therefore the CIU cannot define their way out of their constitutional duty,” Mullison says.

As a former committee man for UAW Local 362, ironically, Houthoofd says enforcing proper standards is what helped lead to his decades-long legal predicament.

In solidarity

Houthoofd grew up in the mostly rural swath of Michigan’s thumb, Tuscola County. There he attended high school in Unionville, a village of a few hundred residents. Following graduation in 1976, he went directly to work at Bay City’s General Motors plant, Powertrain, beginning his career of the next 20 years. Houthoofd would find himself at GM locations in Adrian, Toledo, and Oklahoma City before returning to Michigan.

During a period in the 1980s, when he was laid-off from the plant, he relocated to Florida where he became a pilot and flew Gulfstream jets. But it was a relatively brief departure from the world that had shaped him professionally. Eventually back at Powertrain, Houthoofd continued as a machine specialist. By the late-1990s he’d also become active in the UAW, helping to address employee grievances. In 2001 he made a bid for leadership.

“Formally and officially, I was a union rep,” he recalls, “and I was campaigning for union president. And there was a PFAS pit, and that put a big target on me, because that was a billion-dollar clean-up.”

Known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” polyfluoroalkyl substances are compounds that decompose at extremely slow rates. PFAS have been linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. Houthoofd says he made eliminating a PFAS site on the Bay City plant’s grounds at 100 Fitzgerald St. central to his campaign to lead the UAW chapter. The “target” placed on him, he says, became evident when GM management admonished him about calling attention to the contamination. Cleaning up the site would lead to the plant’s closure and jobs lost, he recalls being told. But he persisted, saying employee safety was of more immediate concern.

As recently as 2025 Houthfood wrote a letter from prison, cautioning Bay City Local No. 362 union members about the PFAS pit that he says remains a hazard:

“This pit is still an illegal dump site with a few truckloads of dirt dumped on top, to conceal it. … How many members working at the factory even know that they are reporting to work in a dangerous, cancer-causing, illegal landfill just west a few feet from truck repair? How many members have died because of GM’s negligence? How many will soon take ill? … This is why I am in prison: putting light on this dangerous environmental problem.”

Before Houthoofd could ever finish campaigning he was disciplined for the first time, he says, in his two decades with the company.

“I had 23 years of seniority at that point,” he says.

Still, he was placed on leave, accused of “running bad parts,” or using car components that didn’t meet industry standard.

It should have been easy enough to fire him, Houthoofd says, except that the plant’s investigation yielded no proof of wrongdoing. GM instead spent thousands of dollars to pay him while he was on disciplinary leave, he says, more aiming to silence him about the PFAS. His eventual return to Powertrain revealed the company had been investigating him off the clock. Houthoofd says he was shown photos of himself out in public, the apparent work of a private investigator.

After multiple requests General Motors provided no comment in response to Houthoofd’s claims.

9-1-1

It was Thanksgiving weekend when Houthoofd received a “9-1-1” message on his pager, telling him he should head immediately to Powertrain’s parking lot. Upon arriving, Houthoofd was ordered to get on his knees, then arrested by Michigan State Police. At the station he learned he’d been named as a suspect in the shooting of a house window, the address of the woman who’d placed him on disciplinary leave.

The investigation was later closed without a charge against Houthoofd, but after his arrest, his home had been searched, and his truck, $15,000, and personal property were seized by police, he says. A handwritten habeas corpus petition filed in Chippewa Circuit Court last year details his account.

“GM set the whole thing in progress for the Michigan State Police,” he says.

By 2002 what Houthoofd describes as a harmless discovery years earlier boomeranged into his path of escalating trouble. While purchasing farm equipment in 1999 he happened across a driver’s license that had been left in the tractor for sale.

“That was found innocently enough,” he recalls. “There was nothing criminal, on my part.”

Houthoofd didn’t attempt to contact

the owner of the license, but stashed it on the visor of his truck.

“I just knew it was safe with me,” he says, “and then I forgot about it.”

His girlfriend, Roberta Haertel, also thought little of the discovery. She’d accompanied Houthoofd during the drive to Delta College where the tractor’s seller worked.

“I counted $10,500 on the way there,” she recalls.

At Delta she visited the ladies room, she says, and by the time she returned Houthoofd had already “kicked the tires” of the tractor and finished the transaction. Haertel insisted he get a receipt, further proving how he acquired the vehicle, she says.

But while police had his pickup truck — a seizure his lawyer, Mullison, says took place unlawfully — the license was located and linked to a theft investigation: Back in 1998 when the tractor was rental equipment it was leased, but not returned, by a suspect who used the same ID; a wallet containing it had been reported missing. Now Houthoofd was charged with stealing the tractor through false pretenses, due to his possession of the document.

Mullison says the charges should have never been issued, not only because the search of Houthoofd’s truck had been illegally conducted, but because the wallet wasn’t reported missing until the day after the license had already been used in the rental transaction. Doubts about how he came to possess the document notwithstanding, he couldn’t have rented the tractor with it on April 13, 1998, Mullison says, since the wallet and license weren’t yet missing.

‘They ruined our lives’

Among other issues of evidence, there were discrepancies between the stolen tractor’s serial number and model year and those of the tractor Houthoofd purchased. The theft by false pretenses trial resulted in a hung jury. Houthoofd says he was told the case would be dismissed, not retried. Comforted by the words he says came from the prosecutor, his relief was short-lived. A re-trial was scheduled for June 2004. But in the interim, while Houthoofd was free on bond, Michael VanHorn, a State Police investigator in the tractor case, reported that he received a phone call from an unidentified man.

“I saw you in court,” the voice allegedly said, “and I know where you live.”

Despite later testimony by VanHorn that he immediately recognized Houthoofd’s voice because Houthoofd had seen him in the court hallway several days prior, saying, “Fuck off, VanHorn! Fuck off!” Mullison argues Houthoofd had no motive to call the detective — he’d been told there’d be no second trial. Additionally, a second officer testified

there was no mention in the police incident report of VanHorn recognizing the caller’s voice. But a cell phone belonging to a woman who said she misplaced it was identified as the one used to contact VanHorn, plus Houthoofd’s girlfriend Haertel and a GM number, court records show. Despite the fact that no evidence of his having spoken to anyone while using the lost phone was produced, Houthoofd was charged with witness intimidation, along with the stolen tractor.

One witness even testified he’d received a peculiar call from the same number, in which the conversation was steered toward questions about how the caller could contact Houthoofd. It struck Haertel, who observed most of the proceedings, as no coincidence that the Green Hut, a Bay City bar frequented by cops, and the Fraternal Order of Police lodge were locations the woman testified to having visited during the period when her phone was misplaced.

An additional phone call to VanHorn, however, sparked new questions when VanHorn said a male voice he didn’t recognize repeatedly told him, “I know where you live, motherfucker.” By then Houthoofd was in the Saginaw County Jail, awaiting trial, and Mullison says evidence not then available to the defense revealed a Bay County pay telephone booth and a palm print on the phone used to make the call. Even VanHorn later stated that he thought the second caller’s voice might have belonged to James Franklin, against whom the detective had testified.

“VanHorn’s credibility is central to this charge,” adds Mullison. “There is evidence on this question which was not brought before the jury.”

“Paul Sequin, a defense witness in the first tractor trial, testified that he was interviewed by VanHorn,” Mullison says. “Sequin said that, during the interview, he asked VanHorn to read back some of the notes he was making. The witness told VanHorn that what VanHorn was reading back was nothing like what the witness had said. At that point the witness said that a mistrust developed as to what VanHorn was up to.”

Still, for Houthoofd, the worst was yet to come. Michael “Ajax” Dotson, once a fellow inmate in Arenac County, where Houthoofd was held until early 2002, told police Houthoofd had tried hiring a killer. The alleged target? A witness from the equipment rental company who said Houthoofd resembled the tractor thief.

Mullison points to trial testimony that police told the witness the tractor’s renter was in their suspect “lineup,” violating protocol for independent visual identification.

When police later arranged for Dotson to call Houthoofd, so they could secretly record evidence of the alleged solicitation, Houthoofd dismissed a question

about whether they were going to do anything to the witness.

“Nah, nah, no,” Houthoofd is recorded saying during the exchange. “I got a real good case … my lawyer will pick [the witness’s] fucking wings off.”

State Police Detective William Eberhardt, posing as the killer-for-hire Dotson recruited, got in touch with Houthoofd, according to court records.

“This was extremely important evidence,” says Mullison.

Playing the role of “Chucky,” Eberhardt had several conversations with Houthoofd, documenting no proof that Houthoofd wanted a witness murdered.

“Eberhardt closed his part of the investigation as unfounded!” adds Mullison.

But neither the detective’s report, nor even his name, were disclosed to Houthoofd’s defense team, and Eberhardt wasn’t called to testify, Mullison says: “The prosecutor said that the Michigan State Police had not told him of that name, and the MSP said that they had, but which version is true doesn’t matter, since, either way, it was state action that kept this information from the defense, and is thus a constitutional violation.”

Dotson admitted “milking” money from Houthoofd, and hoping to con him by pretending to facilitate the hit, but again, Mullison says the jury lacked a complete picture. Dotson had a criminal background, which doesn’t automatically make him a liar, Mullison adds, but he’d been convicted of domestic violence and subject to arrest for violating “no contact” orders to stay away from his girlfriend; Dotson stated that he was in debt to police for not taking him into custody. He also gave inconsistent testimony about times and locations where discussions of the alleged solicitation occurred, court records show.

“It is my opinion,” adds Mullison, “that Dotson’s credibility is so suspect that it is impossible to believe anything that he says which is not specifically provable by independent, direct evidence.”

Apart from the evidence being brought against him, Houthoofd says it came out during jury selection that the foreman was a GM employee. He wondered if Powertrain staff at the court proceedings, including the woman whose house window had been shot, might have found ways to intimidate the foreman.

Although the solicitation of murder charge originated at Arenac County Jail, a Saginaw County jury found Houthoofd guilty.

While more common in civil complaints, forum shopping in crimes such as terrorism, or offenses spanning jurisdictions, is an occasional strategy of prosecutors, not typically of cops.

“When I heard ‘40 to 60 years,’” says Haertel, “I can’t even put the feeling into words.”

She still has flashbacks of the trial, such as when VanHorn testified he didn’t “recall” unlawfully seizing $15,000 from Houthoofd’s house.

“That’s not the same as saying, ‘I never did that. What are you talking about?’” she says.

“These police officers, they ruined our lives.”

Right versus rules

Much of Haertel’s daily routine revolves around Houthoofd. Phone calls from Muskegon and weekly visits with him in prison have been their primary interaction.

She’d met Houthoofd through a grade-school friend who worked with him at GM, a few years before all the trouble began.

“When I met Tod I thought I’d died and gone to heaven,” Haertel says. “I never met a guy who was so together.”

After watching the man she loves lose his career and freedom, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome. She sees a therapist now, coping and hoping they will have a life together again. Meanwhile, Haertel, Mullison and Houthoofd all scratch their heads about what might convince the Michigan CIU to intervene, since receiving its fourth rejection last year.

“I want that more than anything in the world, and I believe Tod deserves

background as an elected prosecutor. Houthoofd has already served the maximum amount of time he was sentenced for theft by false pretenses and witness intimidation.

“I am very convinced that he is completely innocent in all three cases,” says Mullison.

Since Mullison’s first communication with the CIU in 2021, he says, revised innocence arguments including what should qualify as new evidence, or evidence not previously presented in court, have been repeatedly presented to meet the unit’s general standard. He adds, “The CIU did use additional criteria when they added ‘information that was brought up on appeal.’ I think this means there is almost no case that would fit their criteria; there is almost no case where matters aren’t brought up at trial, or in a motion for a new trial, or on appeal.”

But new or old shouldn’t matter when it comes to exculpatory proof, he says, citing Schlup vs. Delo and House vs. Bell as case references for “probabilistic determination” of innocence. “Basically that’s just what they say,” Mullison adds. “Determination of actual innocence means you don’t just look at the trial transcripts and not go beyond that. That’s the thing about it: They’re not bound by the legality of procedure, because they’re prosecutors. They can consider anything they want to.”

that,” says Haertel. “I’m positive he does. Four times in a row, instead of protecting an innocent man, they’ve sided with these police officers.”

Wimmer, the CIU spokesperson, however, defends its record: “The Conviction Integrity Unit exists to review convictions over which a claim of innocence is made. The vast majority of these convictions are rightful and just. The work of the CIU should not be wholly measured by the simple sum of exonerations. In total, the Conviction Integrity Unit has reviewed approximately 1,800 cases, recommending specific relief in eight cases since its formation, including two cases since 2024.”

Wimmer rejects Houthoofd’s assertion that the state’s “checkbook,” including a 2016 law requiring $50,000 per year compensation to citizens proven wrongfully convicted, plays a role in the case.

“This is simply untrue,” says Wimmer. “Claims for compensation under the state WICA [Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act] are handled by different attorneys, not the Conviction Integrity Unit. CIU attorneys do not consider potential WICA awards when evaluating claims of innocence.”

Mullison, who wound up devoting hundreds of pro bono hours to the case, says he can only speculate about the CIU’s rejections, even with his

He sympathizes with the possibility that the unit’s understaffed and likely can’t review every claim in its case load, but insists “they can’t define their way out of their responsibilities.”

A letter to Attorney General Dana Nessel, dated March 6, 2026, stresses his position: “I believe that the unit’s approach fundamentally misapprehends the distinction between the role of courts, and the independent and constitutional ethical obligations of prosecutors,” it reads in part.

“The duty to ‘seek justice, not merely to convict’ is a bedrock ethical principle that binds every prosecutor in this country,” the letter adds.

The second of several conversations between Houthoofd and Metro Times occurs minutes after the first; Houthfood explains that he “paid” a fellow inmate with ramen noodles, in exchange for the inmate’s place in line at the Muskegon Correctional phone. Houthoofd’s eager to have his story told, he says, even if he’s not as optimistic as he’d once been about the state granting him relief.

“They don’t care that their officers lie under oath,” he adds, “and the state don’t care. The courts don’t care.

“I hoped that they would do the right thing. I had no feeling about them — the only feeling I had about them was, ‘Now I have people who will do the right thing.’”

NEWS & VIEWS

CNN spotlights Metro Times investigation into disgraced Detroit detective Barbara Simon as pressure builds

CNN has picked up Metro Times’s reporting on retired Detroit homicide Detective Barbara Simon, bringing national attention to a scandal that has led to multiple exonerations, millions of dollars in settlements, and mounting calls for a full review of the cases she handled.

In a story published Sunday, CNN credited Metro Times with first exposing the allegations against Simon in 2024.

The story, by CNN’s Ray Sanchez, described Simon as a once-feared interrogator known as “The Closer” whose legacy is now defined by false confessions, coerced witness statements, and innocent Black men who lost decades of their lives behind bars.

The national coverage comes after Metro Times published a series of stories beginning in July 2024 that examined Simon’s role in wrongful convictions and the larger failures of police, prosecutors, and judges who allowed her tactics to go unchecked for years.

Metro Times’s initial investigation found that Simon illegally held suspects without warrants, denied them access to attorneys and phone calls, threatened them, made false promises of leniency, and wrote confessions and witness statements that were coerced. At the time, evidence of Simon’s misconduct had helped free at least four men convicted of murder, while a fifth man was released before trial after DNA evidence showed he was not the killer.

Following the series of stories and nearly a dozen protests calling for innocent men to be released and Simon to be investigated, Wayne County Pros -

ecutor Kym Worthy assembled a team to review the old cases. As a result, two men have been released from prison in a one-month period beginning in March.

First, George Calicut Jr., who spent nearly 30 years in prison after signing what his attorneys said was a false confession written by Simon, was released on March 3. DNA testing later excluded him from the crime scene.

On March 31, Roy Blackmon walked out of prison after nearly 28 years behind bars, becoming at least the sixth person freed because of misconduct tied to Simon. Blackmon was convicted in a 1998 Detroit shooting that killed one man and wounded two others, even though there was no physical evidence tying him to the crime. Witnesses later said police threatened and coerced them into implicating him.

Wayne County prosecutors agreed to vacate Blackmon’s conviction and dismiss the charges after a joint review by the Michigan Innocence Clinic and the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit found that the case rested on false witness testimony obtained through police threats and coercion.

Together, Calicut and Blackmon became the first two people released after Metro Times’s series renewed scrutiny of Simon’s cases.

CNN’s story highlighted many of the same cases Metro Times has followed for nearly two years, including those of Mark Craighead, Lamarr Monson, Justly Johnson, Kendrick Scott, Calicut, and Blackmon. It also quoted attorneys with the University of Michigan Innocence Clinic, who said more exonerations are

“I think it’s a damn shame that it has to go to a national level before anyone locally recognizes it,” Craighead tells Metro Times. “That is so crazy. What the hell is going on? Is everyone else scared or something? You guys are the only ones who had the balls to write about it.”

In its story, CNN noted that Simon has never been charged with a crime and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in past testimony. The Detroit Police Department never disciplined her over the allegations, and she continues to receive a tax-funded pension from the city. Simon has been accused in lawsuits of using coercive interrogations, fabricating evidence, and relying on unconstitutional tactics that have led to at least 18 federal lawsuits, according to a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice. Four of those lawsuits have cost taxpayers roughly $25 million in taxpayer-funded settlements.

In Craighead’s case, Wayne County Circuit Judge Shannon Walker cited Simon’s “history of falsifying confessions and lying under oath” when she vacated his conviction in 2021. The Michigan Court of Appeals later found that Simon’s interrogation tactics showed a “scheme, plan, or system to obtain false confessions.”

Those rulings opened the door for a larger look at Simon’s cases and helped validate what exonerees had been saying for years.

expected as Simon’s cases continue to be reviewed.

The issue has drawn persistent public pressure from exonerees and families of incarcerated people, who have held repeated protests demanding that Worthy’s office review every case connected to Simon and meet with the families of people who say they were railroaded.

At several protests outside the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center, families accused Worthy of failing to follow through on promises to meet with them.

Marlon Taylor, whose brother Damon Smith has been imprisoned for 26 years and maintains his innocence, said the families are not giving up.

“We’ve been at these protests for over a year asking for Kym Worthy to sit and talk to us,” Taylor said at the time. “She hasn’t done that. She hasn’t answered our emails or phone calls. She hasn’t kept her word. So I just wanted to let it be known that this fight still continues.”

Worthy’s office has said it is reviewing Simon’s cases. A spokesperson previously told Metro Times that Worthy hired a full-time Conviction Integrity Unit attorney and a full-time detective to work on the review.

But families and exonerees say the process has been too slow, especially as more prisoners come forward alleging they were victimized by Simon or by other Detroit homicide detectives from the same era.

Meanwhile, most local media outlets have paid little attention to the growing Simon scandal, even as exonerees protested, families pleaded for reviews, and new cases unraveled.

Simon worked in the Homicide Division for about 20 years before she retired in 2010. Shortly after, then-Attorney General Mike Cox hired Simon as an investigator. She retired under current Attorney Dana Nessel in August 2021. For Craighead and others, the question now is whether national attention will lead to accountability.

“Barbara Simon is still walking the streets and collecting two pensions,” Craighead says. “The attorney general hasn’t said shit. We just don’t understand that. Are they in cahoots together?”

CNN reported that Simon declined to comment, and the Detroit Police Department and city of Detroit did not respond to requests for comment. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on Craighead’s case or other cases handled by Simon, though Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement that her office’s review of Simon’s cases is “exhaustive and ongoing.”

So far, no one in law enforcement has been criminally charged for the misconduct tied to Simon’s cases. Families say that without a full review and public accountability, more innocent people may remain behind bars.

“We have family members who can’t get any help,” Craighead says. “They need to be able to feel like they are moving forward with something.”

Metro Times will continue to follow the cases, protests, and pressure on prosecutors to confront one of Detroit’s most troubling police misconduct scandals.

—Steve Neavling

NEWS & VIEWS

Transgender woman alleges discrimination at Ferndale gay bar

A Black transgender woman accused a popular, long-standing LGBTQ+ bar in Ferndale of discrimination after a bartender at Soho refused to serve her.

In a video clip posted to TikTok, the Detroit woman said an alleged dispute over her ID quickly escalated, with the white bartender and patrons shouting at her and kicking her out of the bar. Soho later apologized for what it claimed was a misunderstanding over different forms of ID and the bartender’s lack of “professionalism, respect, and care that every person deserves in our space.” (Soho’s full response can be found at the bottom of this article.)

In the video, the woman said she previously visited Soho “numerous times” without issues, but a different bartender was working that day. In her video, she described the bartender as a “butch cis white lesbian.”

“I walked in, and I noticed that the bartender seemed pretty cold and unwelcoming,” the woman said. “But I didn’t assume much from that other than maybe she was having a bad day.”

The woman said she wanted to order a mimosa and handed her state ID to the bartender, who inspected it with a black light and told her she could not accept it. Michigan’s latest REAL ID-compliant state IDs and drivers license cards both have design details that are visible under UV light to deter forgeries.

Confused, the woman said she knew her ID was valid and had used it at other bars without a problem, and asked if she could get a second opinion from the manager. “By this point she had [an] attitude,” the woman said of the bartender. “I could hear it in her voice and also the way she was talking to me and her body language.”

Even though the bartender was making her feel “extremely anxious” and that she was “literally shaking,” the woman decided to wait at the bar for the manager to arrive later that evening. In the meantime, the argument continued.

“She kept pacing across the bar. Her eyes were literally — I could see the top of the whites of her eyes,” she said.

That’s when the woman decided to call it like she saw it.

“I asked her very directly, ‘Are you being discriminatory? Because this feels like discrimination,’” she recalled.

The woman said the bartender then became defensive and started to yell at

her, saying it was impossible for her to be discriminatory because she is a lesbian and Soho is a gay bar.

“I explained to her, ‘You think that white people can’t be racist? You think that gay people can’t be transphobic?’” the woman recalls. “Then she replied back and accused me of being ‘cisphobic,’ unironically using that word. By that point, I was laughing.”

The woman said the bartender asked her to leave and threatened to call the police. To make matters worse, the bartender then loudly started complaining about her to other patrons, who the woman described as drunk, older white gay men. When the woman tried to defend herself to them, she said the patrons started “dogpiling” on her, telling her to get out.

The woman said she eventually returned with a friend, a transgender Black man who is friendly with the manager, to talk about what happened. According to the woman, the manager said it was a misunderstanding over identifying state IDs and apologized, offering them free drinks.

However, the woman said the bartender never apologized or acknowledged what happened, and the experience left her so shaken that she decided to tell her story on social media, where she found other Google reviews recounting similar experiences.

“The way I see it, they don’t actually care about a safe space,” she said. “They do not actually care about the patrons who go in here who are trans or Black, because it seems like there is a pattern of mistreatment at this bar with specific demographics, specifically Black people and trans people.”

Reached by phone, the woman tells Metro Times that the incident occurred around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14. She said that she received her REAL ID-compliant state ID last year, and while it includes her birth name, her gender is marked as female. She doesn’t believe that any possible confusion over the information on her ID was a factor in the incident.

“There were inconsistencies in what they said,” she says. “Initially, it was a hologram issue. The bartender then said it was invalid, then she said my ID was fake. … She kept switching the reason. Then the manager said the issue was it was a state ID, and not a drivers license.”

If it was a problem with a bartender simply not being able to identify a state ID, then that is “a lack of competence,” she says.

“This situation leads me to believe that there’s some truth in what I’m being told by other people of this being possibly discriminatory, specifically because they have reviews on their [Google] page from Black people, queer people having issues with IDs,” she says.

The woman says she is considering filing a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

“I had no intent of, like, causing a ruckus,” the woman says. “Mostly it was primarily to express awareness. I liked going to Soho before this experience. I liked going to Ferndale. … It wasn’t necessarily something that I wanted to do, but I felt called to do it.”

Metro Times could not reach the bartender for comment, and Soho did not respond when asked if the bartender is still employed by the bar.

The full response from Soho follows:

Recently, an interaction between one of our staff members and a patron escalated in a way that should not have happened. The situation began with a request for age identification, which is something we are legally required to do and take seriously. However, the way the interaction was handled did not meet our standards. Comments were made that were inappropriate, and the patron was not treated with the professionalism, respect, and care that every person deserves in our space. We have apologized directly to the patron. We also addressed the matter immediately with our team and are reinforcing expectations around respectful communication, de-escalation, ID verification, and the responsibility every staff member has to help maintain a safe and welcoming environment.

For more than 20 years, as a small neighborhood bar, we have been part of the LGBTQ+ community. That history matters to us. So does the trust of the people who have made this place what it is. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or disrespect toward any patron, including trans patrons, patrons of color, or anyone else who comes through our doors. We also understand that stories can move quickly online, and that not every version of events will reflect the full context. Our focus now is on accountability, clarity, and making sure our actions match the values this community has long expected from us.

We are grateful to the patrons, staff, and community members who continue to care about this space. We will keep working to make sure it remains a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming place for everyone.

—Lee DeVito

Detroit Councilwoman Mary Waters launches bid to unseat Rep. Thanedar as Gaza looms over congressional race

Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters is making another run for Congress, setting up a rematch with U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar in a Democratic primary that has put a spotlight on Israel’s war with Gaza.

Waters confirmed to Metro Times on Friday that she is running in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, days after filing paperwork before Tuesday’s deadline to qualify for the Aug. 4 primary ballot.

Before Waters entered the race, Thanedar was already facing a strong opponent, Rep. Donavan McKinney, a Detroit progressive who has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Realtor John Goci is also running in the primary. Waters, a former state lawmaker and one of two at-large members of Detroit City Council, ran against Thanedar in 2024 and received 34% of the vote, despite being heavily outspent. Thanedar won the primary with about 54% of the vote and cruised to reelection in the heavily Democratic district.

This time, Waters says she is better positioned.

“Despite having $8 to $10 million dollars spent against me in the last 13th Congressional District Democratic primary race for standing strong on Gaza to stop the slaughter of innocent civilians including children, I still garnered 34% of the primary vote two years ago,” Waters said in a statement to Metro Times. “I am now primed to win after collecting over 2,000 signatures to place my name on the ballot for Congress.”

Waters cited her “unmatched depth of experience,” which includes serving as the first Black woman Democratic floor leader in the Michigan House and winning reelection to Detroit City Council as the top vote-getter “without having to buy one yard sign.”

“I run on what I have done, not a conversation of fake promises,” Waters said. “Seniors, single mothers with children and youth seeking employment through the skilled trades are top priorities for me.”

Waters’s candidacy will likely reshape a race that already has drawn national attention from progressives and pro-Palestinian voters. Thanedar has been an outspoken supporter of Israel and has faced criticism from the left over his position on Gaza. In 2023, he renounced his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America, saying the group failed to adequately condemn Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Pro-Israel money also played a major role in the 2024 primary. A political action committee linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spent nearly $2.3 million attacking Waters in the closing weeks of the race. At the time, Waters was calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and criticized Israel’s military campaign.

Waters made Gaza a central part of her

2024 campaign. At her launch event outside Hamtramck City Hall at the time, she called for a ceasefire and said, “Voters want the killing to stop.”

This year, the issue is more politically volatile than ever, as Israel’s war in Gaza and bombings elsewhere in the Middle East continue to divide Democrats. McKinney has drawn support from progressive and pro-Palestinian voters, while Thanedar’s support for Israel has made him a target for human right advocates.

Before Waters entered the race, McKinney’s campaign had gained momentum in recent months. Sanders endorsed him in June 2025, calling him “exactly the type of leader we need in Washington right now.”

Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress, also backed McKinney, saying residents in the 13th District deserve “responsive representation.”

Waters’s late entry complicates the effort to unseat Thanedar.

In Democratic primaries, multiple challengers often split the anti-incumbent vote, making it easier for an incumbent to survive with a plurality. Thanedar benefited from a crowded field in 2022, when he won the Democratic primary with 28.3% of the vote. In 2024, he defeated Waters and Shakira Hawkins after Adam Hollier was disqualified from the ballot over petition problems.

The 13th District includes much of Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, the Grosse Pointes, and Downriver communities. The winner of the Democratic primary is heavily favored in November.

Waters’s campaign rollout this time was unusually quiet. Unlike her 2024 campaign, when she held a public launch event outside Hamtramck City Hall and made Gaza a centerpiece of her announcement, Waters filed just before Tuesday’s deadline without a major announcement or media statement. The Michigan Chronicle reported last week that Waters’s name appeared on an unofficial candidate list, but Waters had not publicly commented on her campaign until Friday.

That unusual, low-profile launch is likely to fuel questions about how aggressively Waters plans to campaign and whether her candidacy could end up benefiting Thanedar by dividing voters who want him replaced.

For now, Waters is presenting herself as a proven vote-getter with deep experience in Detroit politics and a record of speaking out on Gaza.

“I provided leadership that enacted ordinances with Tenant Rights & Compliance provisions,” Waters said. “I led the fight against unjust practices of the Detroit Land Bank. My work against deed fraud has set the standard to protect property owners in Detroit.”

—Steve Neavling

LET’S GO PISTONS, RED WINGS & TIGERS! VISIT US ON GAME DAY ONE MILE FROM STADIUMS/MINUTES FROM QLINE

Fri 5/01

ECHO PILOT/SOLAR MONOLITH/ STAGGOLEE (ALT ROCK/STONER ROCK/ROCK’N’ROLL) DOORS@9P/$5COVER HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JASMINE JENKINS!

Sat 5/02

JOIN US ON KENTUCKY DERBY DAY!

POST TIME@6:57PM HOURLIES/MARSHALL LUNA BLU (PSYCH PUNK/ROCK’N’ROLL)

DOORS@9P/$5COVER

Mon 5/04

FREE POOL ALL DAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RYAN GALLUP!

Tues 5/05

JENNY DON’T & THE SPURS/ PETE DIO & THE OLD DIRTY(IN)/ IRIS MARLOWE (COUNTRY COWPUNK/HONKY TONK/ALT COUNTRY) DOORS@8P/$10COVER HORNITOS & CORONA PROMO! NO OPEN MIC TONIGHT

Wed 5/06 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PHOENIX DIMAURO!

Fri 5/08

ENDLESS MIKE AND THE BEAGLE CLUB(PA)/ BROOK PRIDEMORE(NYC)/ISAK/ JOE DUPREY/DAN (PUNK ROCK/ANTIFOLK PUNK/ARTSY/ALT ROCK) DOORS@9P/$5COVER

Sat 5/09

DIVAS VS DIVAS MONTHLY DANCE PARTY

W/ DJ AIMZ & DJ EM

DOORS@9P/$5COVER

Mon 5/11

FREE POOL ALL DAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEX BATTESTILLI!

Tues 5/12

OPEN MIC IN THE D FEAT. MUSIC/POETRY/TALENT HOSTED BY JAH LION 8PM-MIDNITE

Thurs 5/14

BELL’S BREWERY & TWO HEARTED ALE PRES. OLD TIME HAWKEY’S “CATCH YOU THERE” MIDWEST TOUR FOOD/TRIVIA/MERCH/GAMES/PROMOS DOORS 6-9PM -

Fri 5/15

Sat

boldly go to Novi

Among the galaxy of stars lighting up the 36th annual Motor City Comic Con beginning Friday, May 15 at Vibe Credit Union Showplace (nèe Suburban Collection Showplace) in Novi will be two actors from the ’70s TV sitcom Happy Days and three cast members from that classic ’80s prime time soap opera, Dallas

This sounds like a huge attraction and surefire draw for the Social Security set. However, given how you probably envision the typical Comic Con attendee-cosplayer-comic creator, is anyone even going to know who these people are?

“I believe we bring people in from all different ages and experiences,” counters Beth Burland, who has supported her brother Thomas ever since he launched his first Detroit comic book jubilee in 1990 and was recently elevated to president of the company that produces Motor City Comic Con. “We don’t want to just be in one specific niche.

She adds, “You don’t necessarily have to be old to know Dallas or Happy Days. Like if your mother watched them when she was younger and told you about them, or if you watched the reruns with your parents, I think it crosses generations.”

So while they all may be just a wee bit older, longtime fans are almost certain to recognize Don Most (Ralph Malph) and Anson Williams (Potsie Weber) from Happy Days (The Fonz, Henry Winkler, was scheduled to join them, but “Aaaay!” he had to withdraw), and Patrick Duffy (Bobby), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen), or Charlene Tilton from Dallas. (Ooooh, wonder what Lucy Ewing looks like today?)

However, anyone worth their Comic Con credentials should salivate over celebrating the 60th anniversary (can that be possible?) of the original Star Trek with an appearance by William Shatner —

returning as a real-life space traveler but forever our intrepid Captain Kirk, still going boldly at 95 — alongside USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) Next Generation crewmates Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data) and Jonathan Frakes (Commander William T. Riker).

“I do too many of these Cons,” Frakes laughed in a recent phone conversation. “And the Motor City is a really good one. It’s a real success story.”

Frakes recognizes that to be a prominent part of a franchise as successful and enduring as Star Trek “is amazing. It’s a gift, right? And Shatner, who I see a lot at these Cons and whose house I go to for Monday Night Football, is 95 and he’s completely compos mentis. He’s funny, he’s present. He’ll do two Cons in a weekend and just released a heavy metal album. He’s really an inspiration to all of us.”

And while he notes that there is no new Star Trek project in the works for its Diamond Jubilee year (“It’s very disappointing, but I’m an eternal optimist”), Frakes is currently inspired by two achievements. He directed two episodes of the new Big Bang Theory spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, premiering this July on HBO Max, and has launched a podcast with, of all people… his Next Generation shipmate, Spiner.

“Have you heard about our podcast?” he asked excitedly. “It’s called Dropping Names…and Other Things, The Brent and John Show. We’ve got 20 episodes in the can, I think we’ve aired about four or five. It’s been just a spectacular experience.

“I mean, the last thing the world needs is another fucking podcast,” Frakes concedes. “But this one is just about dropping names. We’ve had Jason Isaacs, Seth MacFarlane, we opened with LeVar [Burton], but it’s not a Star Trek podcast. People come and tell their stories about names of people who have affected them or they were surprised to be in the room with. Ron Perlman came on and told us a Marlon Brando story that was just amazing. Our old makeup man, Mike Westmore, used to tell us stories about Bette Davis. I hesitate to use the word gossip, but a lot of Hollywood stories come up.”

Among the more than three dozen other pop-culture paragons scheduled to appear at our spring Comic Con, you’ll find:

• British actor John Boyega (Finn in the Star Wars film trilogy, security guard in the movie Detroit);

• Southfield native Selma Blair (Hellboy franchise, Legally Blonde);

• Kit Harington (Jon Snow of Game of Thrones, making a rare Comic Con appearance);

• Charlie Cox (Daredevil in Daredevil: Born Again);

• Patrick Warburton (The Tick, Puddy on Seinfeld, Joe Swanson on Family Guy. “I’m looking forward to meeting him,” Burland says.)

• Karl Urban, leading a reunion of the hit Prime Video dark comedy The Boys with co-stars Laz Alonzo, Shawn Ashmore, Simon Pegg, and Tomer Capone;

• Tyler Hoechlin (Superman & Lois, Teen Wolf), and

• WWE wrestling legends Jerry “The King” Lawler and Kane.

And speaking of wrestling, among the major headlines at this Comic Con is that Pure Pro Wrestling is bringing six live wrestling matches to Vibe Showplace during the weekend. (For an additional charge, of course.)

“They had wrestling at Comic Con way back, I can’t even tell you when, so we thought, let’s give it a try,” Burland says. “It’s something different. We’ve always been bringing wrestlers to the show as long as I can remember, so we do attract people who love to watch it.”

(ATTENTION, Vibe Showplace employees: remember to protect your folding chairs and display tables!)

All that, along with cosplay contests, Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop game marathons, and panels featuring some of America’s top comic artists, animators, and writers like Absolute Batman’s Scott Snyder.

“There’s tons of things to do,” Burland beams. “We think we have a great lineup. You can come to Comic Con and stay all day. You want to play bingo? We have bingo.”

Probably within walking distance of the Dallas table.

The 36th Motor City Comic Con takes place May 15-17 at Vibe Credit Union Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi. Hours are noon-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. More information on tickets, guests, exhibitors, and all activities is available at motorcitycomiccon.com.

WHAT’S GOING ON

LISTINGS

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 Apr 29

Live/Concert

A Wilhelm Scream 7 pm; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; Cubist Agenda 8 pm-midnight; First Place Lounge, 16921 Harper Ave, Detroit; No Cover.

FEID vs FERXXO: Falxo Tour - El Mano a Mano Del Año 7 pm; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; The Function with DJ Dez Andres 9 pm-2 am; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

St. Paul and the Broken BonesLive in 2026 7 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; They Might Be Giants 7 pm; Garden Bowl, 4120 Woodward, Detroit; Cubist Agenda 8 pm-midnight; First Place Lounge, 16921 Harper Ave, Detroit; No Cover.

The Function with DJ Dez Andres 9 pm-2 am; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

DJ/Dance

Planet Funk 7-10 pm; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; Way Back Wednesdays w. DJ Righteous 8 am-11:59 pm; New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 5. Karaoke/Open Mic

Continuing This Week Karaoke/ Open Mic

Hump Day Karaoke & Music Trivia 8 pm-1 am; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington, Royal Oak; No Cover.

Thursday Apr 30

Live/Concert

Dueling Pianos: An Interactive Entertainment Experience 8 pm-midnight; AXIS Lounge, 1777 3rd St., Detroit;

Elmiene - Sounds for Someone Tour 7 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; Magic Bag Presents: GENA (Liv.e + Karriem Riggins) 7 pm; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; Normundy, Who They Fear, Unhealthy While Unhinged, Karmic Cycle, Sozen 6 pm; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; Out of the Mouth of Babes: A Tribute to The Rising Stars of

Jazz on International Jazz Day

7:30-10 pm; Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison St., Detroit; $25.

Sky Covington’s Preservation of Jazz Monday Night Music Series presents Out of the Mouth of Babes: A Tribute to the rising stars of Jazz 7:30-10 pm; Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison St., Detroit; $25.

Dueling Pianos: An Interactive Entertainment Experience 8 pm-midnight; AXIS Lounge, 1777 3rd St., Detroit;

DJ/Dance

Curated Cool 7-10 pm; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; Karaoke/Open Mic

Opening

SKA NIGHT w/ Detroit Riddim Crew + The Belmarks 9 pm; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; 0.

Continuing This Week Karaoke/ Open Mic

Drag Queen Karaoke 8 pm-2 am; Woodward Avenue Brewers, 22646 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; no cover.

Elixer: DJs John Ryan and GEO 8 pm-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover.

Friday May 1

Live/Concert

Biffy Clyro w/ Raue 7 pm; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; Calum Scott - The Avenoir Tour 2026 7 pm; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; Faetooth, Latter, Bosses 7 pm; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck;

Friday Night Jam — Live Music at The Wildermere Featuring The Jerome Clark Trio 8-midnight; The Wildemere Bar & Grill, 3143 W. Mnichols, Detroit, MI; Free.

GETTER - Balcony Upgrade 8 pm; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; ICONS OF COUNTRY - Tributes to Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert 7 pm; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; Live Music Friday 8-10 pm; Eastern Palace Club, 21509 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 0.

Magic Bag Presents: Dave Bruzza Unsafe At Any Speed (Greensky Bluegrass) – Spring Tour 2026 7 pm; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale;

May The Party Be With You 7:30 pm-2 am; Diesel Concert Lounge, 33151 23 Mile Road, Chesterfield; 20. Melrose Avenue 7 pm; The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; Rumours: The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show 8-9:30 pm; FIM Capitol Theatre, 140 E 2nd Street,

Flint; Tickets start at $40 / $30 for Genesee County residents.

Saddle Up: May the Force Be With You! 8 pm; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville;

THE BABYS • SRO • Striking South 7:30 pm; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland;

Three Days Grace - Alienation Tour 7:30 pm; Caesars Palace WindsorAugustus Ballroom, 377 E. Riverside Dr., Windsor;

Three Days Grace Ticket + Hotel Deals 7:30 pm; Caesars Palace Windsor - Augustus Ballroom, 377 E. Riverside Dr., Windsor;

YUNGBLUD: IDOLS - THE WORLD TOUR 8 pm; Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill, 14900 Metropolitan Pkwy., Sterling Heights;

Friday Night Jam — Live Music at The Wildermere Featuring The Jerome Clark Trio 8-midnight; The Wildemere Bar & Grill, 3143 W. Mnichols, Detroit, MI; Free.

DJ/Dance

All Your Friends May 1, 7:30-9:30 pm; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $22.12.

Button Masher May 1, 7 pm; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck;

Fiesta Friday | DJ Tony Toca & first Friday of every month, 10 pm-2 am; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington, Royal Oak;

Jerry’s Tone (Jerry Garcia Band - Grateful Dead Tribute) + DJ tothegods May 1, 9 pm; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; 0.

Open Air Fridays 4-10 pm; Woodbridge Pub, 5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; 0.

Saturday May 2

Live/Concert

Alan Doyle 7 pm; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; Clan of Xymox + Cold Cave 7 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit;

Detroit Anarchy VII Punk Rock Festival 7 pm-2 am; Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; $15. Endless Summer 8 pm; Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren;

Fire Lake - Bob Seger Tribute, Marz Radio 7:45 pm; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; Mommiealien, Planetkaia, Lartheealien, Joycxi, Uns4ne, 3thryl 10 am & 9 pm; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; Motown Eagles at Ground Control 7:30-10 pm; Ground Control at Major Tomato, 6547 Allen Rd., Allen Park; $20.00.

Ozzy Tribute - Sins of a Madman , Marz Radio, Mob Opera, The Larrys 7:30 pm; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; Saddle Up: Tequila & Tallboys 8 pm; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; Spring Fest 2026 Kuhnhenn Brewing Clinton Twp 12-8 pm; Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., 36000 Groesbeck Hwy., Clinton Twp; The Bends - Radiohead Tribute 7 pm; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; The Supertramp Tribute 8 pm; Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens;

DJ/Dance

All Over The Shop w/ Painting With Light + DJs J. Walker & John C. Dodge May 2, 9 pm; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; 0.

Saturday Grind 11 am-3 pm; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; Saturday Grind 11 am-3 pm; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit;

Sunday May 3

Live/Concert

Bilmuri - Kinda Hard Tour 6 pm; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit;

DON DYLAN - The Bob Dylan Experience 7 pm; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; Gatecreeper, Eternal, Dying Remains 7 pm; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; Homestyle Dinner Rolls 7 pm; TSDMAAC (Confessional), 15701 James Couzens Fwy., Detroit; Opera Winds & Strings 3-5 pm; Scarab Club, 217 Farnsworth St., Detroit; $30 at the door, $25 in advance, $10 for students.

DJ/Dance

2nd annual Detroit Vinylfest: records, CDs, tapes, more! FREE! May 3, 10 am-6 pm; Eastern Market, 2934 Russell St., Detroit; FREE.

SPKR BRNCH 11 am-3 pm; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; Karaoke/Open Mic

Continuing This Week Karaoke/ Open Mic

Sunday Service Karaoke Hosted by Sister DJ Larry 8 pm-1 am; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington, Royal Oak; No Cover.

Sunday Service Karaoke | DJ Larry noon-1 am; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington, Royal Oak; No Cover.

Monday May 4

Live/Concert

Arankai: The Portrait Tour with Special Guests Buffalo_farm 6 pm;

The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; Remember Sports, Cusp 7 pm; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck;

Sepultura w/ Exodus 5:30 pm; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak;

Sky Covington’s Preservation of Jazz Monday Night Music Series, Tributes 7:30-10 pm; Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison St., Detroit; $35-$40. DJ/Dance

Adult Skate Night 8:30-11 pm; Lexus Velodrome, 601 Mack Ave., Detroit; $5.

Tuesday May 5

Live/Concert

NewDad 7 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit;

Sean Blackman’s In Transit 7-10 pm; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

Sean Blackman’s In Transit 7-10 pm; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

Karaoke/Open Mic

Continuing This Week Karaoke/ Open Mic

Open Mic : Art in a Fly Space 7-10 pm; Detroit Shipping Company, 474 Peterboro St., Detroit; no cover.

VIP Tuesday Night Karaoke 9 pm-1 am; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington, Royal Oak; No Cover.

Wednesday May 6

Live/Concert

Cubist Agenda 8 pm-midnight; First Place Lounge, 16921 Harper Ave, Detroit; No Cover.

The Function with DJ Dez Andres 9 pm-2 am; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

Buckethead 7 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; Cubist Agenda 8 pm-midnight; First Place Lounge, 16921 Harper Ave, Detroit; No Cover.

The Function with DJ Dez Andres 9 pm-2 am; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

DJ/Dance

Planet Funk 7-10 pm; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit;

Way Back Wednesdays w. DJ

Righteous 8 am-11:59 pm; New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 5.

Karaoke/Open Mic

Continuing This Week Karaoke/ Open Mic

Hump Day Karaoke & Music Trivia 8 pm-1 am; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington, Royal Oak; No Cover.

Thursday May 7

Live/Concert

Dueling Pianos: An Interactive Entertainment Experience 8 pm-midnight; AXIS Lounge, 1777 3rd St., Detroit;

COMPLETELY UNCHAINED - The Ultimate Tribute to VAN HALEN 8 pm; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland;

Dueling Pianos: An Interactive Entertainment Experience 8 pm-midnight; AXIS Lounge, 1777 3rd St., Detroit;

First Thursdays wsg The Royal Oak Blues Band 9 pm; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; 0.

Fixation IV 6 pm-midnight; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 48-125.

Fixation IV 3 Day Pass 6 pm; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck;

Fixation Thursday: Traitrs, Curse Mackey, Ego Likeness, Bellhead, Sine, Tiffadelic, DJ Aaron Hingst 6 pm; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck;

Jon Anderson 6:30 pm; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak;

Mo Lowda & The Humble 7 pm; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale;

TAYLOR AUSTIN DYE 7 pm; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte;

Fixation IV 6 pm-midnight; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 48-125.

Fixation IV 6 pm-midnight; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 48-125.

DJ/Dance

Curated Cool 7-10 pm; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; Disclosure Live (16 and Over) May 7, 7 pm; Detroit Masonic Temple Library, 500 Temple St, Detroit; Karaoke/Open Mic

Continuing This Week Karaoke/ Open Mic

Drag Queen Karaoke 8 pm-2 am; Woodward Avenue Brewers, 22646 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; no cover.

Elixer: DJs John Ryan and GEO 8 pm-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover.

Friday May 8

Live/Concert

Friday Night Jam — Live Music at The Wildermere Featuring The Jerome Clark Trio 8-midnight; The Wildemere Bar & Grill, 3143 W. Mnichols, Detroit, MI; Free.

Fixation IV 6 pm-midnight; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 48-125.

CKY 7 pm; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale;

Dancing with the Stars 7:30 pm; Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; Emo Night Brooklyn (18+) 8 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit;

FAMILY TRADITION BAND wsg

Daniel Harrison & the $2 Highway and Cody Boggs 7 pm; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; Fixation Friday: Pixel Grip , Bootblacks, Ghost Cop, Black Rose Burning, She 1-Him 2, Entries, DJ Elektrosonik 6 pm; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; Fixation IV 6 pm-midnight; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 48-125.

Flatland Cavalry: Work of Heart Tour 6:30 pm; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit;

Flowers For Persephone, sixteen12swag, Career Funeral 6 pm; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; Friday Night Jam — Live Music at The Wildermere Featuring The Jerome Clark Trio 8-midnight; The Wildemere Bar & Grill, 3143 W. Mnichols,

Detroit, MI; Free.

Mac DeMarco 7 pm; Detroit Masonic Temple Library, 500 Temple St, Detroit; Magic Bag Presents: Jackie Venson 7 pm; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale;

Shattered - Rolling Stones Tribute, CREEDENCE - CCR Tribute 8 pm; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland;

Sincerely 7 pm; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac;

VNV Nation - An Evening With 7 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit;

Fixation IV 6 pm-midnight; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 48-125. DJ/Dance

Ann Arbor Ecstatic Dance second Friday of every month, 7:30-10:30 pm; Ringstar Studio, 3907 Varsity Dr, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108, Ann Arbor; $25-40 ($5 discount for cash).

BLADE RAVE May 8, 9 pm; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville;

Emo Night Brooklyn May 8, 8-10 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E Congress St, Detroit; $24.00.

Mirror Mask w/ ECK! + DJ Sanford May 8, 9 pm; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; 0.

Open Air Fridays 4-10 pm; Woodbridge Pub, 5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; 0.

Saturday May 9

Live/Concert

Fixation IV 6 pm-midnight; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 48-125. Fixation IV 6 pm-midnight; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 48-125. August Burns Red w/ The Amity Affliction 6 pm; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; Bellas x Voodoo 2026 Freshman Class 5 pm; TSDMAAC (Confessional), 15701 James Couzens Fwy., Detroit; Bruno Mars - The Romantic Tour 7 pm; Ford Field, 2000 Brush St., Detroit; Fantasia & Anthony Hamilton 8 pm; Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit;

Fixation IV 6 pm-midnight; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 48-125.

Fixation Saturday: Ritual Howls, Matte Blvck, Houses of Heaven, Choke Chain, Some Days Are Darker, Johnstonsons, DJ Jon Noble 6 pm; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck;

Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime - The Final Chapter 7 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit;

Ian Maksin World-Acclaimed Cellist Live @ Historic Ypsilanti Performance Space 7:30-9 pm; Ypsilanti Performance Space (The YPSI), 218 N Adams St, Ypsilanti; $30-40.

Infinity & Beyond - Journey Tribute with Used Cars 8 pm; Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens;

Kottonmouth Kings, A Killers Confession, Kung Fu Vampire 5:30 pm; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland;

Latin Party - Mother’s Day Edition 9 pm; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac;

Magic Bag Presents: MEGA 80s 7 pm; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale;

Mariachi Vargas El Legado Tour 2025-2026 7:30 pm; The Skydeck, 1526 Broadway, Detroit; Mother’s Day Celebration 7 pm; Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; Never Ending Fall 7 pm; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; Past Dog Beach w/ The Bores + DJ Horrorshow 9 pm; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; 0.

VIAL, Scarlet Demore 7 pm; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; Bruno Mars - The Romantic Tour 7 pm; Ford Field, 2000 Brush St., Detroit; DJ/Dance

Saturday Grind 11 am-3 pm; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit;

Saturday Grind 11 am-3 pm; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit;

Sunday May 10

Live/Concert

Bruno Mars - The Romantic Tour

7 pm; Ford Field, 2000 Brush St., Detroit; Bruno Mars - The Romantic Tour 7 pm; Ford Field, 2000 Brush St., Detroit; Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons: The Last Encores 6 pm; The Skydeck, 1526 Broadway, Detroit; Nancy Ajram 8 pm; Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; DJ/Dance

SPKR BRNCH 11 am-3 pm; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; Karaoke/Open Mic

Continuing This Week Karaoke/ Open Mic

Sunday Service Karaoke Hosted by Sister DJ Larry 8 pm-1 am; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington, Royal Oak; No Cover.

Sunday Service Karaoke | DJ Larry noon-1 am; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington, Royal Oak; No Cover.

Monday May 11

Live/Concert

To Violently Vomit (Disgorge US) wsg: Vulnificus 6 pm; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; Wendell Harrison & Tribe for A Tribute to Pharaoh Sanders ft. Sky Covington 7:30-10 pm; Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison St., Detroit; 40.00. DJ/Dance

Adult Skate Night 8:30-11 pm; Lexus Velodrome, 601 Mack Ave., Detroit; $5.

Tuesday May 12

Live/Concert

Sean Blackman’s In Transit 7-10 pm; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

2026 AMPERS&ONE LIVE TOUR

‘Born To Define’ IN DETROIT 7 pm; The Block, 3919 Woodward Ave., Detroit; PURITY RING - A PLACE OF MY OWN TOUR 7 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; Sean Blackman’s In Transit 7-10 pm; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

DJ/Dance

Soul Tone second Tuesday of every month, 9 pm-2 am; The High Dive, 11474 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; Ultra Sunn May 12, 7 pm; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; Karaoke/Open Mic

Continuing This Week Karaoke/ Open Mic

Open Mic : Art in a Fly Space 7-10 pm; Detroit Shipping Company, 474 Peterboro St., Detroit; no cover.

VIP Tuesday Night Karaoke 9 pm-1 am; Pronto! Royal Oak, 608 S. Washington, Royal Oak; No Cover.

THEATER

Performance

Detroit Repertory Theatre Eclipsed ECLIPSED a play by Danai Gurira, directed by Shavonne Coleman. Five extraordinary women struggle to negotiate power, protection, and peace as they fight to survive in the Liberian Civil War. From actress-playwright Danai Gurira (BLACK PANTHER, THE WALKING DEAD), this gripping play unearths the wreckage of war, celebrating women navigating the most hostile of circumstances. $30

WHAT’S GOING ON CONT’D

advance / $35 same day Fridays, Saturdays, 8-10 pm, Saturdays, 3-5 pm and Sundays, 2-3 pm.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Detroit Troy Auburn Hills The Magic Soireemagic and comedy dinner show We host 2 Magic Soiree’s 5.15pm and 7.15pm The fun starts when you are shown to your table in The Atrium Bar and Grill. Close-up magic will be happening at your table. During this time dinner and drinks are available to purchase. Please order as soon as you arrive, so our fabulous magicians can work their mind-blowing magic right before your eyes. Then, step into our intimate 50seat theater for an evening of astonishing illusions, hilarious entertainment. Our incredible stage show is guaranteed to leave you mesmerized! $40 and VIP tickets $45 Saturdays, 5:15-10 pm.

FIM Whiting Auditorium Gazillion Bubble Show Prepare to be amazed and transported back to an enchanting world of bubbles with the Gazillion Bubble Show. This mind-blowing spectacle combines the joy of bubbles, the wonders of science, and excitement for the whole family. Get ready to rediscover the sheer wonder and delight of bubbles as you embark on a one-of-a-kind interactive journey through the show. The extraordinary production features awe-inspiring bubble artistry, high-energy music, and captivating lights and lasers that will leave you spellbound. $30.90/$23.60 for Genesee County residents Saturday May 2, 2-3:30 & 7-8:30 pm.

Flagstar Strand Theatre for the Performing Arts The Psychology of Serial Killers Thursday 8 pm.

Fox Theatre Il Volo In Concert Friday May 1, 8 pm.

Grosse Pointe Theatre at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Grosse Pointe Theatre presents its 13th Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival May 1-3 Ten original ten-minute plays presented at each performance, May 1-3. We have all experienced time in a waiting room or waiting area, and each person waiting has a story of their own. Join Grosse Pointe Theatre’s TAKE TEN Play Festival and experience ten original ten-minute plays with the theme The Waiting Room. See the creative process of each story unfold and the emotions and life-changing perspectives that are revealed. These ten plays were selected from 343 play submissions from across the world. Join us for this entertaining performance! $15 Friday May 1, 7-9:15 pm, Saturday May 2, 7-9:15 pm and Sunday May 3, 2-4:15 pm.

Sound Board Amplify: The Sound of Detroit Sunday May 3, 4 pm.

The Back Office Studio The Patio Prom – A New Comedy by A.M. Dean May 8-10 and 15-17 | Fri-Sat at 8pm, Sun at 2pm | $15 General, $12 Students Once a year, the outdoor furniture salespeople of America (and other non-America places) descend on Chicago’s Merchandise Mart to buy, sell, meet, and greet. This year,

they are pushed to the brink of sanity, during what is already a chaotic affair, when the Mart is locked down, leaving the people inside to make it through a night of ill-placed debauchery, reconnections to people thought lost to them, and poorly thought-out revenge plans. $15 General, $12 Students Friday May 8, 8-10 pm, Saturday May 9, 8-10 pm and Sunday May 10, 2-4 pm.

Tipping Point Theatre Gene & Gilda | A play by Cary Gitter A charming and witty comedy about the relationship of Hollywood legends, Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner. Tipping Point Theatre presents the Michigan Premiere of “Gene & Gilda” by Cary Gitter. It’s Hollywood in the late 1980’s and Gene Wilder is giving his first interview after the death of his beloved Gilda Radner. Although he states any discussion of Gilda is off limits, Gilda has other ideas and crashes the interview. The famous couple come to vivid life as we follow them from their first meeting through their personal and professional ups and downs, all the way to their poignant farewell. $25 - 47 Wednesdays, Sundays, 2-3:30 pm, Thursdays, Fridays, 7:30-9 pm and Saturdays, 7:30-9 pm.

Musical

Fisher Theatre - Detroit Hamilton (Touring) - Recommended for ages 10 and up; infants are not allowed in the theater. 5 and above are permitted with their own ticket Wednesday 8 pm.; Thursday 1 & 8 pm, Friday May 1, 8 pm, Saturday May 2, 2 & 8 pm, Sunday May 3, 1 & 7 pm, Tuesday May 5, 8 pm, Wednesday May 6, 8 pm, Thursday May 7, 8 pm, Friday May 8, 8 pm, Saturday May 9, 2 & 8 pm, Sunday May 10, 1 & 7 pm and Tuesday May 12, 8 pm.

Meadow Brook Theatre Million Dollar Quartet Wednesday 2 & 7:30 pm, Thursday 7:30 pm, Friday May 1, 7:30 pm, Saturday May 2, 2 & 7:30 pm, Sunday May 3, 2 & 6:30 pm, Wednesday May 6, 2 & 7:30 pm, Thursday May 7, 7:30 pm, Friday May 8, 7:30 pm, Saturday May 9, 6 pm and Sunday May 10, 2 & 6:30 pm.

COMEDY

Improv

Go Comedy! Improv Theater

Pandemonia The Allstar Showdown is a highly interactive improvised game show. 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 7:30pm & 9:30pm 25.00 Fridays, Saturdays.; $20 Every other Friday, 8 & 10 pm.

Tipping Point Theatre Squatters Writes: An Evening of Improvised Comedy Based on audience suggestions, the cast will create a fully improvised two-act play. Featuring a veteran cast of

WHAT’S GOING ON CONT’D

actors and improvisers, this show uses the existing stage, set, props and lighting of the current production of Gene & Gilda at the Tipping Point Theatre to create a one night only performance without a script. This show will benefit two local not-forprofits with 100% of the proceeds going to Gilda’s Club Detroit and the Tipping Point Theater. The cast includes TJ Jagodowski from the very popular improvised Sonic commericals and Kathryn Renée Thomas from TV Land’s Teachers. $30 Wednesday 7:30-9 pm.

Stand-up

Andiamo Celebrity Showroom

Jim Norton Saturday May 9, 8 pm.

Brighton Center for the Performing Arts Todd Oliver and Irving the Talking Dog Have you ever met a talking dog, a real talking dog? Get ready, because you are going to meet the funniest comedian on 4 legs! “Irving”, with a little help from his friend Todd Oliver, is going to talk up a storm. If you ever wondered how a dog looks at life, this little homeraised companion is going to give it to you straight from the dog’s mouth. He won’t mince words, and if he does, it’s Todd’s fault anyways (he’s a ventriloquist). 6pm the Pet Supplies Drive for Livingston County Animal Shelter starts in the lobby. 23 Friday May 1, 7-9 pm.

Eastern Palace Club Mary Spencer LIVE @ Eastern Palace Club | The Smoke Show Comedy Show Mary Spencer is a Detroit-based stand-up comedian known for her sharp writing and dry delivery. She’s performed across the Midwest and appeared in festivals including the Motor City Comedy Festival, Tree Town Comedy Festival, and Detroit Women of Comedy Festival, sharing stages with comics like Beth Stelling and Carmen Lynch. $5 Thursday May 7, 8:30-10 pm.

The Fillmore Sooshi Mango: The Home Made World Tour Saturday May 2, 8 pm.

FIM Capitol Theatre George Lopez George Lopez’s multi-faceted career encompasses television, film, standup comedy, literature, and late-night television. Lopez has broken ground for Latino comics by embracing his ethnicity, confronting racial stereotypes, and fighting for his community on and off the stage. An icon and advocate for Latino representation, Lopez was named one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America by Time Magazine. Age Recommendation: Adults Only (18+) This show contains adult humor and uncensored language that may not be suitable for younger audiences. Tickets start at $71 / $52 for Genesee County residents Thursday May 7, 8-9:30 pm.

Harmonie Club Karmanos Comedy Champions The Karmanos Comedy Champions is a fundraising event that celebrates the power of laughter and the hope of new cancer cures. The night will be filled with audience-engaging per-

formances by Hip-Prov, with a stand-up show from headliner Michael Kosta from The Daily Show. Event proceeds will benefit the future oncology education program, supporting tomorrow’s oncology researchers from high school to postgraduate studies. Cancer cures are not found by chance – they are discovered by people. Gifts from this event will educate the next generation of cancer doctors, scientists and researchers in Detroit and beyond. $250 - $350 Saturday May 9, 6-11 pm.

The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant STAND UP | NICHOLAS TENAGLIA & FRIENDS Nicholas Tenaglia is a Los Angeles based comic from Berkley, Michigan. As one of four boys, Nick quickly learned that being the funniest man alive was the only way to get the attention of his parents. Nicholas has performed all over the country most notably with acts such as Bobcat Goldthwait, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Connor O’Malley and Beth Stelling. Equipped with one-liners, compelling stories, and the perfect mix of high and low energy, he has a style that can only be described as three comics in one (talk about bang for your buck)! $20 Online/$25 Door

Friday May 8, 7-8:30 pm.; Nicholas Tenaglia is a Los Angeles based comic from Berkley, Michigan. As one of four boys, Nick quickly learned that being the funniest man alive was the only way to get the attention of his parents. Nicholas has performed all over the country most notably with acts such as Bobcat Goldthwait, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Connor O’Malley and Beth Stelling. Equipped with one-liners, compelling stories, and the perfect mix of high and low energy, he has a style that can only be described as three comics in one (talk about bang for your buck)! $20 Online/$25 Door

Friday May 8, 9-10:30 pm.

Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. Kuhnhenn Comedy Night-- Warren Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. presents Comedy Night — featuring some of the funniest stand-up comedians from Michigan and beyond. Shows take place on the first Friday of every month. Tickets are $17.85. Duration approximately 1.5 hours. Tickets available at Eventbrite. $17.85 Friday May 1, 7-8:30 pm.

Sound Board 2 Funny Mamas: Sherri Shepherd & Kym Whitley Thursday 8 pm.; Friday May 8, 8 pm.

Continuing This Week Stand-up

Blind Pig Blind Pig Comedy FREE Mondays, 8 pm.

The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant Tonight vs Everybody: Open Mic Comedy A late night, heckle encouraged, show up, go up stand-up open mic featuring both local amateurs and touring professionals. Sign up starts at 10:30 and the show begins at 11p. Doors and Sign Up 10:30p | Show at 11p | $5 Suggested Donation* Attached bar Ghost Light opens at 7p The independent Com-

edy Club is a comedy club run by comics for comics inside Planet Ant Theatre. The club runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, offering independently produced comedy shows from 8p-12a. Presented by Planet Ant *Planet Ant Theatre, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization; no ticket or reservation is required $5 Suggested Donation Fridays, Saturdays, 11 pm-1:30 am.; A weekly open mic featuring both local amateurs and touring professionals. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and the show begins at 9 pm.. 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. $5 Suggested Donation Thursdays, 9-10:30 pm. Salt + Ko “Tony Roney’s Hilarious Sunday Night Comedy, Every Sunday @ Salt + Ko Inside The Radisson Hotel 26555 Telegraph Rd Southfield, MI. Tony Roney’s Hilarious Friday & Saturday Night Comedy, Inside Starters Bar & Grill, 18426 Plymouth Rd Detroit MI. Show Time 8pm. Tickets $25.00 . This comedy show will showcase Detroit’s funniest up and coming comedians. Sponsored by Tony Roney’s Comic Vibe. For more info contact Kamilah @ 313 729 0502 or 248 906 6119. 25.00 Fridays, 8-10 pm and Saturdays, 8-10 pm.; Tony Roney’s Comic Vibe Presents “Tony Roney’s Hilarious Sunday Night Comedy, Every Sunday @ Salt + Ko Inside The Radisson Hotel 26555 Telegraph Rd Southfield, MI. Show Time 8pm. Tickets $25.00 . This comedy show will showcase Detroit’s funniest up and coming comedians. Sponsored by Tony Roney’s Comic Vibe. For more info contact Kamilah @ 313 729 0502 or 248 906 6119. #highlightseveryonefollowers, #thingstodothisweekend, #thingstodoonsaturday, #thingstodoindetroit, #THEKRACKJOKERS, #tonyroneyscomicvibe, #TKJ, #easternmarket, #easternmarketdetroit, #UnitedStatesEvents, #michiganevents, #detroitcomedy, #michiganevents, #detroitperformances, #afterchristmas, #afterchristmascomedy, #newyearcomedy, #DetroitNightLife, #openmiccomedy, #eventbrite, #eventbritetickets, #comedy2026, #comedyindetroit, #newyear2026, #newyearcomedy, #RadissonHotels, #kamilah, #thingstodoonsunday 25 Sundays, 12-7:30 pm.; Tony Roney’s Hilarious Sunday Night Comedy, Every Sunday @ Salt + Ko Inside The Radisson Hotel 26555 Telegraph Rd Southfield, MI. Show Time 6pm & 8pm. Tickets $25.00 . This comedy show will showcase Detroit’s funniest up and coming comedians. Sponsored by Tony Roney’s Comic Vibe. For more info contact Kamilah @ 313 729 0502 or 248 906 6119. #highlightseveryonefollowers, #thingstodothisweekend, #thingstodoonsaturday, #thingstodoindetroit, #THEKRACKJOKERS, #tonyroneyscomicvibe, #TKJ, #easternmarket, #easternmarketdetroit, #UnitedStatesEvents, #michiganevents, #detroitcomedy, #michiganevents, #detroitperformances, #afterchristmas,

#afterchristmascomedy, #newyearcomedy, #DetroitNightLife, #openmiccomedy, #eventbrite, #eventbritetickets, #comedy2026, #toneyroneyshilarioussundaynightcomedy, #comedyindetroit, #newyear2026, #newyearcomedy, #RadissonHotels, #kamilah, #thingstodoonsunday, https://www.eventbrite. com/e/1979459688213?aff=oddtdtcreator https://patch.com/michigan/detroit/ calendar/event/20260111/1e3aa078-38cb4db6-a8b3-1e977ffad43f/tony-roneys-hilarious-sunday-night-comedy https:// community.metrotimes.com/event/ tony-roneys-hilarious-sunday-nightcomedy-every-sunday-salt-ko-insidethe-radisson-hotel-26555-telegraph-rdsouthfield-mi-41008277 25.00 Sundays, 6-7:30 pm.; “Tony Roney’s Hilarious Sunday Night Comedy, Every Sunday @ Salt + Ko Inside The Radisson Hotel 26555 Telegraph Rd Southfield, MI. Show Time 6pm & 8pm. Tickets $25.00. This comedy show will showcase Detroit’s funniest up and coming comedians. Sponsored by Tony Roney’s Comic Vibe. For more info contact Kamilah @ 313 729 0502 or 248 906 6119. https://www. eventbrite.com/e/1979459688213?aff=oddtdtcreator #highlightseveryonefollowers, #thingstodothisweekend, #thingstodoonsaturday, #thingstodoindetroit, #THEKRACKJOKERS, #tonyroneyscomicvibe, #TKJ, #easternmarket, #easternmarketdetroit, #UnitedStatesEvents, #michiganevents, #detroitcomedy, #michiganevents, #detroitperformances, #afterchristmas, #afterchristmascomedy, #newyearcomedy, #DetroitNightLife, #openmiccomedy, #eventbrite, #eventbritetickets, #comedy2026, #toneyroneyshilarioussundaynightcomedy, #comedyindetroit, #newyear2026, #newyearcomedy, #RadissonHotels, #kamilah, #thingstodoonsunday, $40.00 Sundays, 6-7:30 & 8-10 pm.

Starter’s Bar and Grill Hilarious Friday & Saturday Night Comedy – Starring Tony Roney & The Krack Jokers Tony Roney’s Hilarious Friday & Saturday Night Comedy, Inside Starters Bar & Grill, 18426 Plymouth Rd Detroit MI. Show Time 8pm. Tickets $25.00. This comedy show will showcase Detroit’s funniest up and coming comedians. Sponsored by Tony Roney’s Comic Vibe. For more info contact Kamilah @ 313 729 0502 or 248 906 6119. #highlightseveryonefollowers, #thingstodothisweekend, #thingstodoonsaturday, #thingstodoindetroit, #THEKRACKJOKERS, #tonyroneyscomicvibe, #TKJ, #easternmarket, #easternmarketdetroit, #UnitedStatesEvents, #michiganevents, #detroitcomedy, #michiganevents, #detroitperformances, #afterchristmas, #afterchristmascomedy, #newyearcomedy, #DetroitNightLife, #openmiccomedy, #eventbrite, #eventbritetickets, #comedy2026, #toneyroneyshilarioussundaynightcomedy, #comedyindetroit, #newyear2026, #newyearcomedy, #RadissonHotels, #kamilah, #thingstodoonsunday, #Starter’s Bar and Grill

Southwest Detroit’s Mutiny Tiki Bar is moving, gay bar El Trombone to take over former space

After closing last month following nearly 10 years of business in Southwest Detroit, Mutiny Tiki Bar plans to reopen in another part of the city — but owner Dave Kwiatkowski isn’t ready to say exactly where just yet.

“Mutiny will be reopening this fall in a different location,” Kwiatkowski tells Metro Times. “We should be open by October.”

In the meantime, Kwiatkowski says his Detroit Optimist Society hospitality group is at work on a new concept for the former Mutiny space at 4654 Vernor Hwy. — a gay bar they are calling El Trombone.

It will be the Detroit Optimist Society’s tenth business. In addition to Mutiny Tiki Bar and El Trombone, the group also operates Sugar House, Wright & Company, Bad Luck Bar, Honest John’s, Grandma Bob’s, Last Chance Saloon, Time Will Tell, and Third Street Bar in Detroit, as well as Finger’s Crossed in Northport in northern Michigan.

Kwiatkowski says the idea for El

Trombone came from Luka Backus, who has worked as a bartender at the Detroit Optimist Society’s Sugar House and Bad Luck Bar.

Backus says he has long wanted to open a gay bar in the city.

“I feel like the queer community in Detroit is very underground, and it has been for a long time,” he says, adding that his vision is for “a really nice, local gay bar for anyone to feel comfortable, for anyone in the queer community to feel like they can come here and just feel connected.”

Backus says he plans to serve many of the same classic cocktails you can get at the Detroit Optimist Society’s other bars, but with some more approachable offerings like canned beers and seltzers.

“If you want to make gay people happy, you have to have your seltzers,” he says.

The two envision El Trombone hosting DJ nights, drag shows, karaoke, and other programming. “I love bartending, but I think right now more than anything, I like curating

Saroki’s Crispy Chicken & Pizza coming to Detroit

A local chain that has developed a cult following with its fried chicken and New York-style pizzas is opening its first Detroit location next month.

Saroki’s Crispy Chicken & Pizza is set to open inside the new Griswold Market & Spirits at 735 Griswold St. in downtown Detroit’s Security Trust Building.

The Detroit store is Saroki’s first to not be located inside of a gas station.

“This is a major step forward for our brand, and we’re proud to bring Saroki’s to the heart of the city for both new and loyal customers,” Todd Saroki, founder of Saroki’s Crispy Chicken & Pizza, said in a press release. “Detroit is one of the most dynamic food cities in the country, and being part of the growth and energy in downtown is incredibly meaningful to us.”

The new store is expected to open on Monday, May 4 and will be available for carryout and delivery.

Saroki’s was founded by brothers Todd and Curtis Saroki in 2012 and now includes more than 20 locations across Michigan.

—Lee DeVito

Eastern Market Brewing Co. to expand

Detroit’s Eastern Market Brewing Co. is planning a major expansion in Michigan.

events and hosting things,” Backus says. For the past three years at Third Street Bar, he has hosted Railed, which he describes as a “March Madness”-style competition where bartenders are tasked with making drinks out of limited ingredients.

Construction of El Trombone is underway.

Backus says the interior design will have “a hyperpop, leather daddy vibe” with “bright, punchy colors, but also this dark, hot masculine aesthetic,” while Kwiatkowski describes the vision as “very ’70s, ’80s … with lots of orange, black, and mahogany.”

“Lately, I’ve really enjoyed these more hospitable dives, where people want to come every night and they’re just obsessed with the bartenders, the people that go there, the comfort, the openness,” Backus says. “For me, I wanted it to feel like a hub, like a community spot.”

El Trombone is expected to open by early May.

—Lee DeVito

The craft brewery says it is working with a new production partner to significantly increase its production capacity, making beers like its popular Elephant Juice IPA available across the state this summer.

“For years, our self-distribution business has been our most important competitive advantage,” founder Dayne Bartscht said in a press release. “We built something nobody else in Michigan has done at our scale, and we did it intentionally. This is the moment that investment pays off. The rights to our brands statewide have significant value, and we structured this expansion accordingly.”

Eastern Market Brewing Co. launched its taproom in Detroit in 2017, expanding with a brewery dubbed the Ferndale Project in 2020.

“We started Eastern Market Brewing Co. in 2017 because we looked at the Michigan craft beer landscape and realized that Detroit didn’t have a brewery competing at the highest level. The west side of the state had all the players,” said Dayne Bartscht. “Everything we’ve built since has been pointed at closing that gap. Going statewide isn’t new. It was always the destination.”

—Lee DeVito

The Straight Dope Your guide to the best Michigan cannabis for spring

By Steve Neavling

Now that Michigan’s miserably cold and snowy winter is over, people are emerging from hibernation and heading back outside.

Whether you’re going to the Eastern Market on Saturdays, picnicking at Belle Isle, or attending festivals and pop-up events throughout the state, spring is the season for a specific kind of cannabis. The best spring weed is fresh, flavorful, and ideal for warm, sunny days and mild nights under the stars or at an outdoor concert. It’s a good time for sweet and fruity flower, uplifting live rosin, refreshing THC drinks, and decadent edibles. And when you’re on the run, vapes and prerolls are convenient and discreet.

Some cannabis is better for daytime energy, and others are good for relaxing with friends at a picnic, bonfire, or outdoor movie.

Here are some of the best cannabis products in Michigan for spring: Few cultivators, if any, focus more on flavorful fruit and candy strains than Hytek, a high-end grower in Detroit that produces flower, live rosin, and prerolls. Their lineup is full of strains that are ideal for spring. They’re fresh and sweet and will enhance any sunny, easygoing day. Hytek’s flower strains that fit spring are Bubblegum Sherb, Candy Cartel, Candy Float, Curelato, Lantz, Lemon Cherry Gelato, Pink Runtz, and Pops 41. Hytek has also become one of the best live rosin producers in the state, and you won’t want to miss these strains for the spring — HY-Z, Lantz, Straw Guava, and Oishii. Hytek also produces rosin disposable vapes, which are convenient when you’re on the go and need something easy and discreet. The best prices for Hytek are at the Refinery in Detroit, the cultivator’s sister dispensary.

Freshy Fine’s ZHB, a cross of Zkittlez and Headband, works well for spring if your goal is to relax but feel uplifted. Sweet on the front end, with notes of pine and earth, ZHB delivers a cerebral, calming high that is ideal for a day on the boat, a Tigers game, or playing music on the patio. It’s one of Freshy Fine’s most popular flower strains, and for good reason. One of Michigan’s most reputable high-end cultivators, Freshy Fine also offers ZHB in CO2 disposable vapes

and prerolls for anyone who wants a more portable option. Other Freshy Fine strains that are good for spring include Candy Cake, Sun Cake, and Wedding Pie.

There’s a good reason the Hive in Hazel Park has become one of the most sought-after cultivators in metro Detroit.

The small, woman-owned dispensary grows some of the best flower in Michigan, and Superboof and Rainbow Beltz are two fruity strains with different effects. Superboof is an energizing strain that combines Black Cherry Punch and Tropicana Cookies, and the flavor bursts with orange and some funk. Rainbow Beltz is a fruity cross between Moonbow and Zkittles and is perfect for winding down after a long day outside. Both are also available in prerolls.

Mandarin Z is one of Information Entropy’s standout strains, and it’s easy to see why. A sativa-dominant hybrid made by crossing Mandarin Sunset with California Black Rose, Mandarin Z has a sweet citrusy aroma with notes of grapefruit, spice, and herbs. The effects are energizing and euphoric, making it a good choice for a stroll on the Riverwalk, a bike ride, or a pickup game at the park. Information Entropy, a dispensary with locations in Ann Arbor and New Buffalo, has built a strong reputation for producing some of the best in-house flower in Michigan, and Mandarin Z is one of the best examples of that. The strain is also

available in disposable vapes and prerolls. Other Information Entropy strains ideal for spring are Project Z, Sherb Cream Pie, Apple & Bananas, and Limon Mandarina.

Freshy Fine’s ZHB, a cross of Zkittlez and Headband, works well for spring if your goal is to relax but feel uplifted. Sweet on the front end, with notes of pine and earth, ZHB delivers a cerebral, calming high that is ideal for a day on the boat, a Tigers game, or playing music on the patio. It’s one of Freshy Fine’s most popular flower strains, and for good reason. One of Michigan’s most reputable high-end cultivators, Freshy Fine also offers ZHB in CO2 disposable vapes and prerolls for anyone who wants a more portable option. Other Freshy Fine strains that are good for spring include Candy Cake, Sun Cake, and Wedding Pie.

Zlemonade is one of the fruitier strains in Premier Cannabis Farms’s stellar lineup, and it has a citrusy, lavender aroma with notes of Z terps. A sativa-dominant cross of Zkittlez and Lavender Lemonade, Zlemonade feels made for spring. The effects are uplifting and energetic, making it a good choice for gardening, taking a hike, or joining a couple thousand others for a Slow Roll ride. Premier Cannabis Farms, the family-owned Lansing cultivator often called 517, has built a reputation for potent, well-grown flower. Another Premier strain ideal for

spring is Verde Limon Sherbert, a flavorful cross of Flo-Rida OG and Sunset Sherbet.

Highly Casual is a good spring pick for anyone looking for a lighter cannabis drink. Made by Emerald Canning Partners, a joint venture production facility in the historic Gibraltar Trade Center in Mount Clemens, the infused seltzer comes in flavors like Honeycrisp Apple, strawberry watermelon, lemon lime, and blueberry pineapple. The Honeycrisp Apple flavor, made with Michigan apples, follows the company’s “less sugar, more weed” approach. It’s a crisp, easygoing option for people who want a THC drink without the heaviness or sweetness of many infused beverages. Who needs alcohol when you can drink delicious THC-infused beverages? Pleasantea is a refreshing drink for spring, and it’s lighter than most beverages and is easy to take outside. Produced by Emerald Canning Partners, this cannabis-infused iced tea comes in lemon, peach, and raspberry and has a clean, crisp flavor. Made with nano-emulsified THC for a quicker onset, the drinks are available in 10 mg and 30 mg cans, making them easy to dose depending on the day. With relatively low sugar and a smooth taste, Pleasantea works well for barbecues, festivals, or any other laidback reason to be outside.

Mary Jones is a good spring option for anyone who wants a THC drink that

tastes more like a pop or flavored carbonated drink. From Jones Soda Co., the line features flavors like Berry Lemonade, Green Apple, Orange and Cream, and Grape. For anyone who grew up drinking Jones sodas from the iconic glass bottles, Mary Jones delivers some nostalgia with an infusion of THC. The flavors taste authentic, making these a fun alternative to other sugary drinks.

For energizing and uplifting effects that keep you active and motivated for a day outside, Banana Boat by Wojo is a reliable choice for spring. A sativa-dominant cross of Dubble Motorboat/ICC and Honey Banana, the live rosin has a distinctive flavor that tastes like bananas dipped in diesel. Based in Pinconning, Wojo has become one of Michigan’s most respected rosin producers, with a growing, ever-changing lineup divided into candy, citrus, floral, funky, and gassy categories. Sold in one-gram pucks and half-gram vapes, Wojo’s rosin is flavorful, reasonably priced, and widely available at dispensaries across the state.

Papaya is one of the best examples of what Exotic Matter does well. With a clean and pungent tropical fruit aroma and rich papaya flavor, this live rosin is smooth, creamy, and easy to handle, with a light-yellow badder that looks as good as it tastes. The effects are uplifting and balanced, providing enough energy to keep going without feeling the edge of many sativa-dominant strains. Exotic Matter is a small-scale cultivator that went from growing medical cannabis in a Michigan pole barn to building a loyal recreational following. It has earned a reputation for producing some of the best and most affordable flower and live rosin in the state, and Papaya is one of its standout strains. Other good Exotic Matter options for the spring are Orange Yuzu and Banana Candy.

Traverse City Rootbeer by Known is one of the more distinctive rosin strains

in Michigan, with a flavor profile that really does taste like cherry root beer. A cross of GMO Rootbeer, Cherry Sherb, and Sour Diesel 91, it is dominated by sour fuel and root beer terps, with sweet cherry undertones and a hint of funky GMO. The effects are heavier and more relaxing, making it better for spring nights. Traverse City-based Known has built a strong reputation for small-batch, terpene-rich rosin, and Traverse City Rootbeer stands out as one of the clearest examples of the brand’s unique, genetic-hunted strains.

Pomelo Punch #5 by Eastside Alchemy is a good choice for spring, partly because

of its bright citrus flavor that inspires a day in the sun. A potent hybrid made by crossing Orange Mints and Papaya, the rosin smells tangy and citrusy, with tart grapefruit on the front end and sweet fruit punch on the back end. The effects are uplifting and potent, making it a good choice for catching an outdoor concert, walking around the city, or camping. Eastside Alchemy, a small, tight-knit live rosin operation based in Lansing, has built a reputation for fresh, flavorful, and consistent rosin, and Pomelo Punch #5 shows why. Other ideal Eastside Alchemy strains for summer are Banana Shack, D-Lish, Papaya Juice, Too Much Grape #5, and Rainbow Guava.

For dabbers and vapers looking for flavorful and relaxing rosin without getting knocked out, Tallymon by Local Grove is a natural pick for spring. A hybrid made by crossing Papaya and Banana OG x Dosido, it has a pungent flavor profile with tropical fruit, candy banana, and nutty notes. The effects are euphoric, uplifting, and relaxing, making it a good choice for a low-key evening outside. Harrison Township-based Local Grove has built a strong following for its flower and live rosin, with a focus on small-batch cultivation, strong terpene profiles, and consistent quality. Its rosin has become more refined and is now among the best in the state. Local Grove sells Tallymon in one-gram jars and disposable vapes. Other good Local Grove strains for the spring are Rainbow Push Pop, Lime Heads, Hon-

ey Banana, and Papaya Crush. Tators by Hey! Captain are a clever spin on the usual gummies and chocolates that dominate the edible sections at dispensaries. The Lansing-based brand known for creative, unique, and award-winning edibles has released THC-infused kettle chips that are crunchy and savory. If you’re heading to a picnic, park, or backyard party on a warm day, chips make more sense than heavy dessert edibles. The lineup includes Spicy Dill Pickle, Sea Salt, and Michigan Cherry BBQ, providing a mix of tangy, simple, and sweet-smoky options. Hey Captain! also makes dried candies, ice cream bites, nug-shaped white chocolate, and other specialty munchies.

Gelato Canna’s Fat & Weird Cookies are the kind of overindulgent edible that you treat friends and yourself for making it through another winter. These new decadent, infused treats are part of a unique collaboration between Michigan-based Gelato Canna and Fat & Weird Cookies, the nationally recognized brand known for its unique, oversized cookies. They’re rich, made for sharing, and come in five flavors — Big Sexy, Pitchen Tents, Massive Eruption, Cookie Anonymous, and Dubai Chocolate. “We’re combining two brands that refuse to be ordinary, and the result is something the market has never seen. Demand is going to speak for itself,” Chris Hindo, CEO of Gelato Canna, said.

CULTURE

Savage Love

The Reveal

by Dan Savage

: Q Are there rules to revealing a cheating ex on social media?

Three weeks ago, I confronted my boyfriend about his repeated requests that we “find a time to talk.” These requests were never followed by any actual talk. We’d been together for five years by then. After his third futile attempt (“We still need to have that talk,” he said, cowering), I realized it was up to me to be the mature one. Again. The actual breakup was swift: “We’re moving towards different futures,” he said, and that was that. We shared a home, two dogs. I drove his truck. I asked him if he wanted me out immediately or if we planned to consciously uncouple. He encouraged me to take my time, hoping I’d stay in our dogs’ lives. Two days later, he started meeting strangers from Grindr for sex and lying to my face about it. Three days after that, he hosted an orgy in a hotel room. I had caught him cheating several times in the past. Each time I’d confront him, he’d lie. His evasion skills evolved alongside a growing hatred for me. When you’re living with a person you’re actively cheating on, you can either hate the person you’re cheating on or you can hate yourself. He chose to hate me.

I stood confidently in my power. I spent a few weeks grieving, journaling, meditating, while he continued to fuck away his pain. I got sober. Got back to the gym. Dormant creativity sprouted to life. Lost friendships reignited. I found joy lip-synching my favorite TikTok songs. What a thrill to be inspired again. One of my videos circulated widely on Facebook, where my ex’s mom, coworkers, and other immediate family members all saw it. Our mutual friends and countless strangers saw it too. I mouthed along to the lyrics of Punk Rocky by A$AP Rocky (“I thought you was the one. I guess you just the two. You want the last laugh? Look! Now the jokes on you!”) while I rolled around on my sister’s lush granite kitchen countertops. #ShootingStar, #CheatingEx, #GlowUp, and #WinningEra were among the hashtags. (Eternally grateful to my sis for a soft place to land.) Soon after, I received a DM from a mutual friend. “Do Better,” the message commanded. This friend then unfriended me. Do better? My ex was the one who cheated. I stayed faithful. He immediately started screwing strangers while I was still sleeping in our bed! All I did was make a TikTok video to cope, to process, to heal. To empower myself after the trauma. I was flabbergasted. Do better?!? I instantly felt too vulnerable to post anything else. Sharing what happened in the public eye — my ex’s dysfunction — suddenly felt irresponsible, no matter how cathartic it was. I wasn’t doing it to be petty, and yet I felt immature. Whiny. But why? I didn’t cause his cheating. If anything, sharing the sordid details, even inadvertently, should have been empowering. So, what is all this guilt all about? Could I have done better? Is there such a thing as a moral high road when it comes to revealing a cheating ex on social media?

—Moving On Proudly

A: There’s only one rule when it comes to revealing — read: exposing — a cheating ex on social media: don’t do it

You’re allowed to tell people the reason your relationship ended, MOP, because of course you are. Your ex cheated on you while you were together and didn’t have the balls to end things himself. While his post-breakup hookups don’t count as cheating — no one is required to be celibate in the

wake of a breakup — if he was fucking other men in the bed you still shared while you tried to sleep, that was needlessly hurtful. If he was meeting up with men who were hosting, those hookups were none of your business. And you would’ve had plenty of opportunities to tell people why your relationship ended. You were a couple for a long time, and mutuals were going to ask why it ended. And when someone asked, MOP, you could’ve told them the truth face-to-face or text-to-text: he cheated on you, and then, once it was over, he immediately started fucking his away his pain. Word would’ve spread quickly — people love to talk about other people’s breakups — and you would’ve been seen as the wronged party.

That was the high-road option, MOP, and you didn’t take it. Instead, you made a video of yourself writhing around on your sister’s lush (?) granite countertops. And then, after loading it up with accusatory hashtags, you posted the video on a platform where your ex’s family members and coworkers and friends were certain to see it. (Come on now, MOP: It was no accident that his mom saw it.) You didn’t just cede the moral high ground to your cheating ex when you posted that video, MOP, you ceded any sympathy that might have come your way. Because while cheating exes are bad, MOP, crazy exes are worse — and that TikTok video made you look the crazy ex. (I’m friends with some of my cheating exes. I’m not friends with any of my crazy exes.)

I’m not saying you are crazy, MOP, all I’m saying is that video made you look crazy. And in addition to being perceived to be crazy, that video made you look like you were trying to force people to choose sides. But unless someone is guilty of something truly heinous — and cheating you forgave while you were together and then attempted to weaponize after your breakup doesn’t clear the heinous bar people who feel like they’re being forced to choose sides rarely choose the side of the person who’s doing the forcing.

P.S. You say you reconnected with friends after the breakup. If you checked in with friends before you posted that video and they didn’t immediately drive over to snatch the phone out of your hand, your friends failed you.

P.P.S. While it’s possible you were the more mature one in this relationship — anything’s possible — the guy posting lip-syncs to TikTok will always be perceived as less mature than the guy having orgies in hotel rooms.

P.P.P.S. Your ex may have gotten a little messy in a hotel room after the breakup. But his mess was private. You made your mess public. Another reason people are going to side with him — even if they were shocked to find out about the orgy and/or shocked to find out they weren’t invited to the orgy.

: Q My husband and I have been married for eleven years, and four years ago he started seeing sex workers. He didn’t tell me for two years (and we were condom-less) and although I suspected something was up, I didn’t pry. When I finally convinced him to tell me WTF was going on, we decided to stay together and he now consistently goes to sex workers. (He goes daily, if he can.) We have sex about three times a week, which is about right for me, and I genuinely don’t want to see anyone else. (If he’s not around, sex toys are all I need.) At first, I asked for him to let me know when it was happening so I could regain trust that he would tell me things, but it felt like pulling teeth to me and like an interrogation for him. So, I dropped it, and we only talk about his “outings” if he brings one up. Recently, I spotted a condom in the car and asked if he had sex there. He avoided the question twice before finally saying yes. I think the closeness to “home”/”ours” and the fact that he avoided telling me made me feel uncomfortable with the whole business all over again. I can’t tell if it’s better for me just to stop asking questions or to ask myself if this is really working. I love being with him for so many reasons, but when something like this

happens, it really hurts. What should I do?

A: How on earth can your husband afford to see a sex worker every day? I’m not casting aspersions on women doing survival sex work, but if your husband spent two years getting $5 blowjobs from desperate drug addicts, DWD, you’d most likely have contracted a sexually transmitted infection from him during that time. So, I’m guessing your husband was seeing the kind of pros who can insist on condoms — women who typically aren’t desperate and don’t come cheap. The financial drain alone is a reason to end this marriage. (If your husband isn’t made of money and you merged your finances when you married, DWD, you might wanna take a look at your bank statements, your retirement savings, and check your credit report.)

On to your question: What should you do?

Accept that your husband isn’t going to change, DWD, and decide if you’re willing to put up with his shit — shit that has only gotten shittier over time — for the rest of your life. He lied to your face for two years, cheated on you with countless women, and put you at physical risk. Now that everything is out in the “open,” he’s refused to honor his agreement to be transparent and dodges direct questions. You can accept him as he is — and I’m not saying you should, DWD, I’m only saying you can — or you can leave him. What you shouldn’t do is deceive yourself about who your husband is. Screaming, yelling, and couples counseling aren’t going to change him. He will never be completely honest with you, he can’t be trusted to honor the boundaries you set together, and he’s most likely already fucked other women in your bed as well as your car. If you can live with that, you could stay. If you can’t, you should go.

: Q I am a 58-year-old gay man. I am attracted to straight men that are dominant, muscular, and masculine. I love wearing women’s panties and acting very feminine in the bedroom. I have found a man that enjoys being with me and really likes our kinky play times. He gets turned on by the taboo nature of playing with a sissy in panties. He is in a relationship with a woman, so we only get together once every two weeks. He will probably end it soon. The problem is I can’t find any other men that enjoy this type of sexual play. It’s risky to make the first move with someone when I have such kinky habits and desires. Is there an app for me or some other way of finding a man that wants to explore this type of sexual play?

—Sissy Is Seeking Someone Yummy

A: You’ve never played with a straight man, SISSY, not even once. You’ve played with dominant, muscular, masculine straight-identified men… and one or two dominant, masculine, muscular men who didn’t realize they were bisexual or heteroflexible until they got a look at you in your panties. But the guys you’ve played with weren’t straight. Some may have been realizing, but most were pretending. Realizing you have a thing for men in panties is a fine thing to realize. And pretending to be someone you’re not because the pretense turns you or someone else on is a fine thing to pretend. Right now, as you’re reading these words, someone in a sex dungeon in Amsterdam or Indianapolis is pretending to own a person who isn’t actually their slave. And as we’ve just learned in the last few weeks, there are men online pretending to be bimbos who aren’t actually bimbos… and at least one of those men is married to a disgraceful former Trump cabinet secretary. So long as you’re not lying to yourself and/or creating a national security risk and/or betraying your spouse, pretending is fine I’m not rubbing your nose in the ineluctable gayness of your kink in an effort to ruin it for you, SISSY, I’m rubbing your nose in the gayness of your kink to help you. Because

if you wanna find men who are buying what you’re selling, SISSY, you’re gonna need to go where the gay men are. And while most men on gay hookup apps aren’t looking for dudes in panties, some are. (We have the bro-4-bro/masc-4-masc moral panic of fifteen years ago to thank for that. I mean, Bros In Lingerie didn’t happen in a vacuum.) Older men are also in demand these days, SISSY, so there’s probably never been an easier time for someone like you — an older man in panties — to find a guy who’s happy to pretend to be straight because the pretense of being used by a straight guy turns you on. P.S. There isn’t a more dangerous place for a gay man or a trans woman to be than alone in a room with a straight-identified guy entering his refractory period. Sometimes a straight guy who’s just fucked a dude is seized by an impulse to destroy the evidence that he’s not straight — and if he just came in you, SISSY, then you are the evidence. So, not only are guys who’ll admit to being bi or gay a better bet, SISSY, they’re a safer bet.

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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PSA

Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at centerline heights of 44 feet and 39 feet on a 47.5-foot pole communications structure at the approx. vicinity of 1191 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit, Wayne County, MI 48203; Lat: 42-25-54.192, Long: -83-7-44.616. Additionally, Verizon Wireless proposes to build two (2) 43-foot pole communication structures at the approx. vicinity of 272 Arthur Street, Plymouth, Wayne County, MI 48170; Lat: 42-22-29.784, Long: -83-28-27.408, and 44401 Ann Arbor Trail, Plymouth, Wayne County, MI 48170; Lat: 4222-17.868, Long: - 83-28-53.148. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Edward Reynolds, e.reynolds@trileaf.com, 1515 Des Peres Road, Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63131, 314-997-6111.

CULTURE

Free Will Astrology

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES: March 21 – April 19

In the 19th century, Aries photographer Eadweard Muybridge (1830–1904) resolved to settle a debate about whether galloping horses ever have all four hooves off the ground. He developed a system to capture rapid sequential images, which ultimately helped lead to the invention of motion pictures. His answer to a narrow technical question opened up an entirely new art form. Moral of the story: Solving a specific problem may create unforeseen revolutions. In the coming weeks, Aries, I invite you to stay alert for how your focused efforts to address one challenge might birth even more significant breakthroughs. Don’t get so fixated on your immediate goal that you miss larger innovations emerging from your work.

TAURUS: April 20 – May 20

May is Free Thinking Month for you Tauruses. It’s also Free Feeling, Free Wheeling, and Free Healing Month. Wow! To observe this festive grace period, indulge in any of the following jubilant acts: 1. Declare your independence from anyone who tries to tell you how you should live your life or who you are. 2. Declare independence from your history, especially recollections that dampen your sense of possibility and old self-images that impede your yearning to explore. 3. Declare independence from groupthink and conventional wisdom. 4. Declare independence from your former conceptions of freedom so you’ll be free to arrive at fresh understandings of it.

GEMINI: May 21 – June 20

The Navajo practice hózhó means “walking in beauty”: living in balance and harmony with life. But hózhó isn’t a static state you achieve once and possess forever. You must continually restore and reinvent it. I suspect you’re in a phase like that now, Gemini. Too much thinking and not enough feeling? Too much future and not enough present? I recommend you take corrective measures. Start by taking one physical action that grounds you. Have a conversation from the heart instead of the head. Spend an hour not planning the story to come, but simply loving what’s here right now. Refresh your hózhó!

CANCER: June 21 – July 22

If a honeybee colony becomes too crowded, scout bees search for potential new hive sites. When they return, they perform waggle dances for their colleagues to convey specific information about different locations. Negotiations ensue. Various possibilities are offered and considered through more dancing. Eventually, the swarm collectively makes a choice and heads out to its new home. Your challenge right now, Cancerian, is to be like a scout bee who facilitates your group’s decision-making process. I invite you to carry out a reconnaissance mission and then perform your waggle dances for your people. Make your case with vigor and precision. Trust the group’s emergent wisdom to make the best decision.

LEO: July 23 – August 22

Like all of us, Leo, you have persistent aches from old losses, absences, and wounds. They may seem like permanent burdens you will never be able to shake or transcend. But here’s some very good news: In the coming months, there’s a greater chance than usual that you’ll discover new approaches to healing them. The remedies won’t necessarily be logical or obvious. They may involve you conducting rituals, taking symbolic actions, or ambushing the pain from unexpected angles. Be alert for interventions that may seem too simple or unexpected to work.

VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22

Your restlessness is building. How much longer will you pretend you don’t sense the pull of bright temptations and appealing sanctuaries? At what moment will you finally stop resisting your urge to slip past the usual boundaries and roam? The astrological omens hint that this pivot is close at hand. In the borderlands of your imagination, a daring journey is already taking shape. Where might it carry you? Here’s my guess: down into the raw, unfiltered depths of the future you secretly dream about.

LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22

In fairy tales, when heroes are rewarded for their help and kindness, their gifts are often tools of protection: a cloak that renders them invisible, a magic club that chases off foes, or enchanted shoes that enable them to outrun any threat. In other stories, the reward is meant to deepen the hero’s delight in living: a genie’s lamp, a cauldron that cooks up exquisite food, or a horn that calls forth marvelous companions from the fairy world. I mention this, Libra, because I believe rewards for your past and recent generosity are on their way. If you have any say in what form they take, I suggest you request something from this second, pleasure-giving category.

SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21

Poet Marie Howe wrote, “I don’t think we can love anything more intensely than we love a secret.” Many Scorpios feel this way. You understand that mystery is often a joy to be savored. Some truths reveal themselves only to those who summon the patient intelligence to be at peace amidst the confounding riddles. Non-Scorpios may be desperate to leave nothing hidden, but you like to learn from the teasing prickles. You know that some transformations need darkness to carry on their work. Your next assignment: Decide what truth needs more time in the deep before it’s ready to surface.

SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21

Diamond is the hardest natural substance, while graphite is soft and slippery. Yet they’re both made of pure carbon. The difference is in their structure. Let’s extrapolate from this fact as we ruminate on your life, Sagittarius. I’m 97-percent certain that you already have everything you need. Maybe you imagine you lack key resources and powers, but from what I can tell, you are well set-up. So I propose that you simply reorganize what’s available to you now. Take the “carbon” of your life and arrange it in new patterns. Your task isn’t further accumulation but reconfiguration.

CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19

My Capricorn grandfather was a master artisan. He told me that the best furniture is built twice: first in the imagination, then with wood. Let’s apply that theme to you. I believe you have mostly finished the first step of visualizing what you want. Now you’re almost ready to launch the actual work. I’m eager to see the practical effects that will bloom from your detailed fantasies. The rest of the world is excited, too. These days, we all especially need your talent

for turning beautiful dreams into vivid realities. You have extra power to inspire us to convert our idealistic notions into dynamic actions.

AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18

I invite you to imagine a time in the past when you were almost perfectly content. Visualize that magical confluence of satisfying feelings. Where were you? Who was or wasn’t there? What could you see, hear, smell, and feel in your body? What made that moment so right? Next step: Make a vow to rebuild as many of those conditions as you realistically can over the next three weeks. Maybe you can’t recreate the exact scene, but you can approximate its essence.

PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20

The astrological factors now in effect are tending to generate useful and valuable cosmic jokes. I believe they may be disruptive and catalytic in helpful ways. In this spirit, I offer you the following affirmations, borrowed from internet memes: 1. “You may call me ‘melodramatic.’ I describe myself as a ‘creative problem-solver with flair and panache.’” 2. “I’m not overthinking; I’m overriding simplistic answers that hide the real truths.” 3. “You shouldn’t think of me as chaotic; the fact is that I’m generously non-linear.” 4. “I have a solid plan, but it’s always evolving to keep up with reality’s crazy insistence on ceaseless change.” 5. “Please dismantle your low expectations; I need ample room to exceed them.” 6. “I trust my instincts; they have often been wrong in interesting ways.”

Homework: What’s the part of you that you trust the least? Can you upgrade it? tinyurl.com/ YourUnexpectedAlly