Issuu

EXPLORE: MUSIC and ART

M OTOWN LEGEN D M CKIN LE Y JACKSO N

J U LY 2 02 5

LIFESTYLE LETTER

Exploring the language of music and art

July 2025 PUBLISHER

Amy Gillespie | amy.gillespie@citylifestyle.com M AN AG I N G E D I TO R

Marshall Zweig | marshall.zweig@citylifestyle.com CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Marshall Zweig C O N T R I B U T I N G P H OTO G R AP H E R

Amy Gillespie

Welcome to the Explore: Music and Art issue. As a creative, I have always been drawn to and value music and art. Whenever I travel, I always try to plan the trip around music shows or festivals or art exhibits. Everywhere you go, music and art can be the ultimate unifier. Getting lost in music at a show and meeting eyes with someone who’s feeling it just as deeply—that’s shared language. Accidentally bumping shoulders with someone in front of a painting that’s stopped you both in your tracks—that’s connection. We all have moments in life where we remember exactly where we were when a song came on the radio, and how the lyrics spoke to us, or how the rhythm and beat moved us. We all have moments where a piece of art brought us to tears, or changed the way we viewed things. Or maybe you’re still on that quest: to find the work that speaks your language. Royal Oak has long been a destination for that kind of discovery. Inside, we invite you to explore the stories of the people, places, and things that make the City of Royal Oak rich in the language of music and art. Legendary McKinley Jackson takes you into the life of a Motown session musician turned Musical Director: through his gift of listening. Then we explore glass from two facets: first, the internationally known glass dealers of Habatat Galleries take us on a deep dive into the fascinating world of glass collecting. Then we step inside Axiom Glass, where you can literally feel the heat: Andrew and Robert Madvin are reshaping the future of glass sculpture right in front of you. You will also see the heart and care that goes into the Royal Oak Farmer's Market Sights and Sounds Summer concert series experience for the residents of the city. Here's to open ears, open eyes, and the joy of exploring the music and art that speaks our own language, AMY GILLESPIE, PUBLISHER @ R O YA L O A KC I T Y L I F E S T Y L E

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This magazine exists because Amy said ‘Yes.’ Behind every City Lifestyle magazine is a leap of faith — someone who chose to shape the story of their city. They saw a chance to inspire, connect, and elevate the voices that make their community shine. Now, new cities are waiting for someone to say yes. What if it was you?

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inside the issue JU LY 2 0 2 5 | EX P LO R E

18 12

Featured

18 24 32 6

The Ear Behind the Music

Legendary Motown musical architect McKinley Jackson reflects on music

Mr. Glass

Habatat Gallery has been creating glass collectors for a half-century

The Shape of Memory

Inside Axiom Glass: fire becomes form and form becomes memory

The Psychology of a Good Time

The Sights & Sounds Concert Series curates music—and local joy

32 On the Cover

Departments

McKinley Jackson, photographed where he’s most at home: in the recording studio. A special thank you to the team at Rustbelt Studios for their location.

Lifestyle Letter

City Scene

Business Monthly

City List

Local Limelight ARTS + CULTURE

Decor Trends ARTS + CULTURE

Maker’s Studio ARTS + CULTURE

Events

Back Stage ENTERTAINMENT

Photography: Amy Gillespie

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city scene WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN

7 6

1: Always great eats at the Sights and Sounds concert series. 2: Resident Lauren Lubera and kids enjoying the Sights and Sounds. 3: Local resident Jay Wall and his daughter enjoying the Sights and Sounds. 4: Face painting, balloon animals and bounce house for the kids. 5: Royal Oak residents enjoying the food trucks. 6: Stagecrafters putting on a performance. 7: Royal Oak Blues Band: Joe Ballor, vocals; Ken Lehto, guitar; Tim Belgan, bass; Stuart Tucker, drums

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business monthly A R O U N D U P O F N E W S F R O M LO C A L B U S I N E S S E S

Inside|Out: Bringing Art to the Community The Detroit Institute of Arts' Inside|Out program brings reproductions of artwork from the museum’s world-class collection to communities in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties every spring and summer since 2010. This initiative is about connecting people in our community with art in a friendly, accessible way, showing that art is for everywhere and for everyone. The program meets the museum's mission to make art a shared experience that brings us all closer.

Great Lakes Experience: The Deck The Deck is located at The Ovals on Pere Marquette beach. We’re so close to the water you won’t be dry by the time you get here! But it’s cool. You’re always welcome to take a load off and enjoy some of our slow-smoked barbecue and some live music. Do summer right this year: get down to the beach and relax at The Deck. Summer in Muskegon is one of a kind.

Cliff Bell's: A Legendary Speakeasy If you don't know the history of Cliff Bell's, you might overlook the legendary place it is. From the years of prohibition to modern day, it has always been a place that is something special. Cliff Bell himself was the inventor of the bar stool and set out to create the “finest restaurant in America.” Rejecting the hard art deco styles of the era, he opted for warm mahogany and plush interiors.

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R ’S TO P B

USI N ES

We have such amazing, innovative business leaders in our community who are proud to serve you, our residents, with class and quality. We’ve compiled some of our top company picks for the services that might be on your mind this month in an effort to make your lives a little easier.

CITY LIST

PICKS

the

OUR

Local Adventure Habatat Galleries habatat.com | 248.554.0590 Axiom Glass axiomglass.com | 248.933.2639 M Contemporary Art mcontemporaryart.com | 347.665.7011 Lawrence Street Gallery lawrencestreetgallery.com | 248.544.0394 Park West Gallery parkwestgallery.com | 800.521.9654

Day Trip Cliff Bell's cliffbells.com | 313.961.2543 The Deck thedeckmkg.com | 231.755.5022

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C I T Y LIST

The Emerald Theatre theemeraldtheatre.com | 586.630.0120 El Club elclubdetroit.com | 313.757.7942 Motown Museum motownmuseum.org | 313.875.2264

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THE EAR BEHIND THE MUSIC

Legendar y Motown musical architect McKinley Jackson ref lects on music ARTICLE BY MARSHALL ZWEIG PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY GILLESPIE

LOCA L LIM E LIGH T | ARTS + CU LT U RE

Before he arranged Marvin Gaye's hit Sexual Healing. Before he sat in the control room with The Four Tops, The Temptations and Aretha Franklin. Before he became the quiet power behind some of soul's most beloved records…

“[Working for] Motown taught me how to serve the song…and how to disappear into it.” McKinley Jackson was a teenager with a talent for trombone and an ear nobody could explain. “I didn’t know the rules,” he says. “But I already knew how to break them. I could transpose by ear before I ever learned what that meant.” Now 87, McKinley lives in Royal Oak. And after a lifetime arranging music that shaped America’s soundscape—and its soul—he’s still trying to answer the same question: What does this song need?

LEARNING TO LISTEN

McKinley didn’t come from a family of musicians. He came from a Detroit neighborhood and a moment of peer pressure. “All my buddies were in band class,” he says. “So I joined.” He picked the trombone because it felt right in his hands. A year later, he was the best player in class.

That’s when his teacher, Gordon Allen, pulled him aside and sent him to the Detroit Settlement School of Music, where McKinley paid for theory lessons— sweeping floors for 50 cents an hour. “They didn’t teach me how to hear,” McKinley says. “I already knew how to do that.”

THE DOOR TO MOTOWN

Motown wasn’t something you applied for. It was a club you were invited into—if you had the sound. McKinley’s invitation came from Paul Riser, who had recently traded his trombone for an arranging pencil. McKinley took his place—and stepped into Studio O. “It was frightful,” he remembers. “You walk in, and the Funk Brothers are sitting there. You’re young, and green, and you feel every inch of it. But once they knew you belonged, it was family.” CONTINUED >

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At Motown, ego took a backseat to precision. Tracks were built like blueprints, one player at a time. There were no jam sessions. No improvisations. It was art by assembly line. “Motown taught me how to serve the song,” he says. “And how to disappear into it.”

AN INVISIBLE SIGNATURE

Ask McKinley if there’s a famous song that only sounds the way it does because of him, and he’ll give you a polite deferral. “I’ve added something to every song I’ve arranged,” he says. “But I never needed it to sound like me.” Instead, he listens. He listens for what’s missing. For the tension. For the silence. For the shape of the song that hasn’t been drawn yet. “You give ten arrangers the same vocal and chords,” he says, “and you’ll get ten different landscapes. I hear the whole thing in my head—drums, horns, background vocals—before I write a single note. I know I’m gonna use three guitars. One on melody, one on rhythm, one doubling the bassline. I might use percussion playing a 6/8 groove over a 4/4 drumbeat to give it that African lope. I don’t know how I know—I just do.” When Marvin Gaye was creating Midnight Love, it was McKinley who received the rhythm tracks and found a way to finish them. Gaye worked loosely— he’d lay down a vocal, then go walk the beach. “Marvin asked me once, ‘Where do your ideas come from?’” McKinley says. “I told him—I listen. I become part of the music.”

MUSIC AND MEANING

Over a six-decade career, McKinley arranged for everyone from Aretha Franklin to Parliament. But he’s most interested in how music feels—not how it’s credited. “You don’t write an arrangement,” he says. “You discover it. It’s already in the room.” His sound was forged in the calculated discipline of Motown—not the loose, vibe-driven feel of Muscle Shoals. “They made magic down there,” he says. “But it was a different magic. In Detroit, we weren’t chasing CONTINUED >

LOCA L LIM E LIGH T | ARTS + CU LT U RE

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“Marvin [Gaye] asked me once, ‘Where do your ideas come from?’ I told him —I listen. I become part of the music.”

a moment. We were building a machine that made moments. That precision got in your bones.” Still, the soul came from somewhere. His earliest influences include Ray Charles, Clyde McPhatter, and the gospel power of Clara Ward and Aretha Franklin. He snuck records past his mother. He lived inside the voices. He listened. “Music taught me everything—discipline, math, emotion, how to survive racism, how to survive myself.” He remembers touring through the Jim Crow South, playing shows where Black audiences were forced to sit behind rope lines. He remembers being refused service at diners. Threats. Warnings. Police escorts. But the music always played. “Everybody’s a victim when there’s racism— even the ones doing it,” McKinley observes.

LOCA L LIM E LIGH T | ARTS + CU LT U RE

“But the music? The music broke through that. You couldn’t segregate sound. Music exposes people’s hearts, whether they want it to or not.”

STILL LISTENING

Now in Royal Oak, McKinley keeps a low profile. He watches, listens, remembers. Streaming may have changed the business, but not the calling. “The hip-hop guys? I give them credit,” McKinley observes. “They changed the game. They made sure they got paid. So I appreciate them for that. But this new music…well, a lot of it is clever, but we’ll see if it lasts. Real music— music made with heart—outlives us all.” Ask him what he’d be without music, and he doesn’t hesitate: “Nothing,” he says. “Music is life. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

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MR.

Glass

D E C OR T R E N D S | ARTS + CU LT U RE

H a b a t a t G a l l e r y h a s b e e n c re a t i n g g l a s s c o l l e c t o r s fo r a h a l f- c e n t u r y ARTICLE BY MARSHALL ZWEIG PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY GILLESPIE

There’s a massive, luminous, and quietly mysterious crystal egg in the center of Habatat Gallery. Crafted by glass artist Christopher Ries, it weighs nearly a thousand pounds, and houses something you don’t notice at first. Step closer. Shift your angle. Suddenly, inside the clear mass, a tiny earth shimmers into view, refracted and floating—waiting to be discovered. CONTINUED >

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“That piece is called Life,” says Aaron Schey, co-owner of Habatat with his brother Corey Hampson. “It’s the largest one the artist ever made. And no one who sees it walks away the same.” Aaron knows well the effect glass can have on humans. Known by many in the art world as “Mr. Glass,” Aaron’s spent the last decade helping people fall in love with a medium that’s, pardon the pun, red-hot. “Glass is one of the most impressive materials,” he says. “It’s hot, sharp, intimidating— and it’s everything. You can paint on it, fuse it, blow it, cast it. There’s no limit.” Aaron’s helped lead Habatat into the digital age, pioneering virtual exhibitions long before the pandemic made them necessary. From livestream fairs to Zoom studio tours, Aaron’s background in computer science and advertising helped transform the gallery’s reach. “We were already setting up a home studio,” he explains. “When COVID hit, we just hit ‘go.’” One of the first shows he launched during that time: Not Grandma’s Glass—a digital showcase spotlighting genre-pushing artists who might not have made it onto traditional gallery walls. It worked. Art sold. Minds opened. But Aaron’s not out to replace the gallery experience. “You can see something online,” he says, “but when something catches your eye, what’s the next step? How do you get with it?” That’s the soul of get glass, a concept he’s gently ushering into the ecosystem—a philosophy that anyone, on any budget, deserves to experience glass art up close. “It’s not until you’re standing next to glass that you feel what it really is,” Aaron observes. To meet Aaron Schey at an art fair is to meet Mr. Glass himself, right down to a lapel pin of Samuel L. Jackson’s film character…and a top hat. “It’s a beacon,” Aaron says of the hat. “It says, ‘Ask me something.’” The gallery world can be intimidating, especially for those new to collecting, but Aaron does his best to mitigate that feeling. “We’re just regular people,” he adds. “We answer questions, we want you to take photos.”

D E C OR T R E N D S | ARTS + CU LT U RE

Whether it's a first-time visitor or a seasoned collector with a designer in tow, everyone gets the same invitation: Look. Linger. Ask. The glass speaks for itself—and when it does, it changes people. “The best way to buy art,” Aaron explains, “is to fall in love with it. You see something, you feel something…and suddenly, you can’t live without it.” He’s watched it happen hundreds of times: someone standing in front of a piece, quiet at first, then visibly moved, then a proud owner. Still, these days most people don’t start with awe. They start with a screen. Aaron gets it—so his online exhibit is breathtaking too, with hundreds of works from artists across the globe. But for Aaron, the screen is just the beginning. “We bring the pieces to people’s homes if they’re nearby,” he says. “Because once you see it in person—how it glistens, how it feels—you’re usually blown away.”

The digital gallery might spark intrigue. The physical piece ignites a bond between piece and collector. And sometimes, when conditions are just right, glass does something it was born to do: it bends light into wonder. Aaron recalls a show in the Hamptons. He and his brother had brought a large freestanding cube by artist John Cume. As the sculpture slowly rotated, natural light poured through its facets, scattering miniature rainbows across the entire room. “They were everywhere,” he says. “Little pin-sized spectrums dancing across the walls, the floors, people’s shirts. No one could look away. That’s what glass does—it doesn’t just reflect light. It transforms it.” That’s the magic of Habatat, too. What begins as interest becomes a lifelong dialogue between light, form, and feeling. CONTINUED >

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MAKING THE ART OF GLASS CRYSTAL-CLEAR: THE GLASS 53 EXHIBITION If you’ve ever been curious about glass art but weren’t sure where to begin, Glass 53 is your doorway. Now in its 53rd year, this signature exhibition from Habatat Gallery features over 400 original works from 32 countries, and spans the full spectrum of glass artistry: blown, cast, fused, lamp-worked, cold-worked, and everything in between. “There’s nothing like it,” says Aaron Schey, co-owner of Habatat. “You’ll see the entire lineage— from 1960s pioneers to today’s emerging voices.” Highlights include: • Lino Tagliapietra’s largest showing at Habatat in decades

D E C OR T R E N D S | ARTS + CU LT U RE

• Lucy Lyons’ meditative bronze-glass figures • A towering, 88-inch pillar sculpture from Japan’s Toshiyuki Toshiuki • The return of Christopher Ries’s iconic crystal egg, Life Visitors can also vote for their favorite piece in the Public’s Choice Award, or thrill to the curators’ selected Awards of Excellence. And the gallery itself? It’s a hidden gem. “We’re tucked away,” says Aaron. “No signs. No foot traffic. People have to want to be here. But once they walk in, they’re in another world.” For art collectors or just the art-curious, Glass 53 is your chance to experience the wonder of glass art.

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INSIDE A XIOM GLASS: FIRE BECOMES FORM AND FORM BECOMES MEMORY

The Shape of Memory ARTICLE BY MARSHALL ZWEIG | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY GILLESPIE

M AK E R’S ST U D IO | ARTS + CU LT U RE

“

“ G l a s s re c o rd s eve r y t h i n g . Eve r y m ove m e nt le ave s a m a rk . It s h ows you w h e re it ’s b e e n .”

Before Andrew Madvin ever picked up a blowpipe, he was melting action figures in the backyard. “They all died in flames in an epic battle,” he said with a laugh. That early fascination with fire would eventually find its calling. In college, Andrew discovered hot glass—and with it, a lifelong collaboration with heat. What began as a metal and jewelry focus in high school quickly morphed into something bigger, more architectural, and more elemental. Glass was light and heat, movement and memory. “The results are amazing,” he said, “but the process—that’s what I love. The movement, the physicality. It’s like a dance. Our cues come from the glass.” Younger brother Robert’s journey into glass began helping Andrew stretch molten glass for a college installation. That early hands-on experience planted a spark. Years later, after studying glass in Detroit and Hawaii, Robert developed a style all his own—one inspired by the meditative art of stone-stacking, which he echoes in his serene, sculptural forms. Today, the brothers work side by side, their distinct aesthetics complementing each other without ever competing. Andrew and Robert run Axiom Glass, a studio nestled into one of Royal Oak’s most quietly creative corners. They’re part of a micro-community of makers—welders, woodworkers, designers—quietly reshaping what it means to make art for a living. But Axiom doesn’t just make art. It shares it. Open studio events throughout the year let the public watch molten glass transform in real time. “I tell people: bring your kids, bring your grandparents, bring a date,” Andrew said. “You get close to the fire. You feel the heat. You watch liquid become form. It’s the same feeling I get every day.” Working with glass, he explained, is a constant collaboration with risk and rhythm. “Glass breaks a lot,” he said. “You learn to fail. And when it breaks, you’re losing money. But you prepare. You adjust. You learn. And then you take it one step further—you put

it in front of an audience. You don’t know how they’ll respond. But that’s the work.” The work is alive. Music shapes the mood, becoming an invisible collaborator in the studio. “We’re always listening to music,” Andrew said. “It sets the energy. The smoother the rhythm, the smoother the movement.” Like musicians in a band, Andrew and Robert sync to the cues they get from the glass itself. Speaking of smooth, that's the brothers' goal when they're creating. “If you ever race cars, smooth is fast,” Andrew said. “So if you want to go fast, you need to find a way to get smooth. Glassblowing is the same way.” Glass, he added, “records everything. You can’t erase it like you can with wood or metal. Every movement leaves a mark. It shows you where it’s been.” And in that way, each piece becomes a living record—not of a memory, but of a moment. As for Andrew's relationship with heat? “It’s energy. It’s opportunity. It’s like the sun,” he said. “The furnace is always on. It hums. When it’s off, something’s wrong. But when it’s on—it means you can create.” Andrew and Robert’s studio sells to retailers across North America and beyond, with their work appearing in galleries, hotels, and private collections. But Andrew said it’s the local connection that now matters most. “I’m five minutes from home,” he said. “Our building in Detroit made it tough to open up to the public. But here? We’re building something together.” From the hiss of a furnace to the shine of a finished piece, what happens at Axiom Glass is more than art— it’s the heat of presence, the rhythm of risk, and the beauty of making something that remembers everything it’s been through. And that, perhaps, is the deepest magic of glass: it doesn’t just reflect light. It reflects life. To learn more or attend an open studio event, visit axiomglass.com CONTINUED >

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“

You ge t c lo s e t o t h e f i re . You fe e l t h e h e at . You wat ch l i q u i d b e c o m e fo r m .

M AK E R’S ST U D IO | ARTS + CU LT U RE

”

CONTINUED > JULY 2 0 2 5 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM / R OYA LOA K

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Pe o p l e h ave t o wa n t t o b e h e re . B u t o n c e t h ey wa l k i n , t h ey’re i n a n ot h e r wo r l d .

M AK E R’S ST U D IO | ARTS + CU LT U RE

”

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J U LY 2 0 2 5

events A S E L E C T I O N O F U P C O M I N G LO C A L E V E N T S JU LY 3 RD

Royal Oak Taco Fest Downtown Royal Oak | 4:00 PM Tacos, Cerveza, and Tequila! Join us in Royal Oak through July 3 - July 6 for a street festival including eats from over 50 taquerias and eateries. Enjoy three stages of live entertainment! The event features some of the region’s most impressive musical talent line-ups, with a range of musical genres and styles performing all day that'll please any crowd. JU LY 1 0 T H

Summer Concert Series Centennial Commons Park | 5:30 PM The Summer Concert Series in Centennial Commons Park: six weeks of music every Thursday from July 10-August 14! Grab a blanket or a lawn chair, a beverage from your favorite local restaurant (we're in the social district) and come for the live music. Grab a bite at the food truck or take out from your favorite Royal Oak restaurant. JU LY 1 2 T H

Outdoor Art Fair Royal Oak Memorial Park | 10:00 AM Come experience a unique blend of fine art and fine crafts. The show attracts artists from across the country! Artwork will be for sale in many categories including: drawing, painting, photography, clay, collage, glass, metal, wood, jewelry, leather/fiber, and mixed media. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to purchase an original work of art for your home! JU LY 1 2 T H

Berkley Street Art Fest Coffee & Bark | 11:00 AM Join No Dogs Left Behind at the Berkley Street Art Fest for a day full of color, creativity, and cuddles! We’ll be hanging out right in front of Coffee & Bark with our adorable, adoptable puppies who are ready to wiggle their way into your heart—and maybe your home! JU LY 1 9 T H

After Hours with Detroit Record Club Modern Supply | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Join us for a feast of the eyes and ears. We are open late for an exclusive evening of browsing our curated collections. Enjoy some music, drinks, snacks and event only discounts. It’s the perfect way to unwind and connect with the community. See modern-supply.co for more info. JU LY 2 6T H

Dinosaur Jr. & Snail Mail Royal Oak Music Theatre | 7:00 PM Sweep It Into Space is the fifth new studio album from Dinosaur Jr., and from the first note, there’s no mistaking who you’re listening to. Their signature sound is as unmistakable as the Stooges, Sonic Youth, or Discharge. And even as they expand their sonic universe, they never lose touch with their core.

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EVE N TS

THE PSYCHOLOGY of a good time

THE SIGHTS & SOUNDS CONCERT SERIES CURATES MUSIC—AND LOCAL JOY ARTICLE BY MARSHALL ZWEIG | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY GILLESPIE

B ACK STAGE | ENTERTAI N ME N T

When the clouds part and the smell of sizzling mac and cheese drifts across the west lot of the Royal Oak Farmers Market, Christie Siegel doesn’t just see a crowd. She sees a moment. A rhythm. A possibility. Music, in her hands, becomes something more than sound. It becomes a living formula for joy. “I always put myself in the shoes of the attendee,” says Siegel, who has curated the Sights & Sounds Concert Series for the last three years. “‘Where am I going to sit? What am I going to eat? What am I going to hear?’” That last question—what am I going to hear?—isn’t about genre or setlist. It’s about feel. Though Christie doesn’t identify as a music expert, her superpower is reading a crowd. She notices which acts spark something real. Who draws people in. Who brings them back. She studies Instagram pages. Scrolls festival lineups. Listens to tips from friends and community members. Then she makes her choices not based on buzz—but on how likely the band is to light up a Wednesday night. Held the second Wednesday of each summer month, Sights & Sounds pairs CONTINUED >

JULY 2 0 2 5 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM / R OYA LOA K

free live music with a food truck rally, family activities, and Royal Oak’s trademark walkable atmosphere. On paper, it’s a concert. In reality, it’s a joy experiment. Last summer, a high school cover band from Windsor called Leave Those Kids Alone stole the show. They were technically gifted, but it was their energy that stuck with her. “Their performance was incredible for their age,” she says. “And the crowd loved them.” So she brought them back. That’s Christie’s method: notice what works, build on it, and layer in small surprises to keep the experience fresh. “If people come back year after year, I don’t want them to feel like it’s the same thing,” she says. “I always try to add something different.” That might be a photo booth, an art cart, or a new dessert vendor—but everything is chosen with the psychology of a good time in mind. Even the vendor fees are low, because she wants food trucks and craft tables to succeed. If they do well, the energy hums. And if the energy hums, the music lands. Everything, from the bounce house to the background music to the smell of BBQ drifting from a handcut barrel grill, is part of Christie’s emotional architecture. Not a setlist, but a sensory mixtape—stitched together to create an experience of joy. From the chalky

smear of face paint to the smoky curl of hibachi bowls, the whole evening hums with texture and warmth. So if you find yourself on a summer Wednesday night in Royal Oak, follow the sound of a cover tune you didn’t know you loved. Grab something smoky and sweet. Watch kids get their faces painted while a jazz trio eases into their second set. You may not know who’s playing. You may not remember the name of the band. But you’ll feel something. And if Christie has done her job, you’ll come back. Because when the crowd returns concert after concert, year after year, Christie says she always finds a quiet spot, looks around, and says, “I did this.” In a space with a hundred-year legacy and vendors who’ve driven in from Frankenmuth and Imlay City, it’s Christie’s curation that stitches together the old and the new—the sound of something still growing. And the joy she sees? It isn’t chance. And it isn’t trend. It comes from tuning in—again and again—to what makes people feel good, and want to feel it all over again.

“…people come back year after year, [so we] always try to add something different.”

B ACK STAGE | ENTERTAI N ME N T

The series runs from 4–9 p.m., with kids’ activities and early acoustic sets giving way to full-stage headliners by sundown. For details and upcoming dates, visit romi.gov/farmersmarket or call 248-246-3079

Our Future is Here. Our Foundation is You.

Our new headquarters is underway – designed to support our growth, deepen community connections, and better serve you today and for generations to come.

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Citizens State Bank is growing. We’re proud to announce our new headquarters is officially under construction, just two blocks away. This exciting milestone is only possible because of the unwavering support of our community, our loyal clients, and our dedicated team. More than a building, it’s a reflection of our shared success and a commitment to continue serving you with local decisions, deeper relationships, and room to grow together. We look forward to opening our doors in Q1 2026 and to growing right alongside you.

32500 Woodward Ave. Royal Oak (248) 833-6160