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Courtesy of Life in Michigan

Drink responsibly at the annual Detroit Fall Beer Festival.

Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Submit your events to metrotimes.com/calendar.

MIKE

Saturday, 10/23: At 22 years old, New York hip-hop wunderkind MIKE knows a thing or two about feeling as if the weight of the world balances on his shoulders. Born in New Jersey, raised in London, and now back in the states, MIKE's catalog of beat-driven stories are documents of his ongoing quest for peace as he also balances the pressure of being referred to as one of the most important artists in contemporary hip-hop, a label assigned to him by Pitchfork, The Fader, and The New Yorker. Inspired by acts like King Krule, Earl Sweatshirt, and the late MF DOOM, MIKE rarely avoids addressing the tough shit, like pain, anxiety, and loss, in his music, even though most of his albums are released on one of the best, most sunshine-filled days of the year: June 21, the first day of summer. Such is the case with his latest record, DISCO!, which was released earlier this year and, aside from being completely disco-less, is considerably more upbeat than his previous records, yet delivers on some of MIKE's signature elements: slow and low vocals, personal excavation, masterful storytelling, and the occasional emotional gut punch. But DISCO! ushers in a new era for the young rising star. "Struggling? Hmm, nah, but I'm recovering," he confesses on "Aww (Zaza)." We love to hear it. Liv.e, Black Noi$e, and Sideshow are also on the bill. 

—Jerilyn Jordan

Detroit Fall Beer Festival

Saturday, 10/23: Don't get us wrong: we love fall. No, seriously. It's practically our religion. Though nothing beats autumn in Michigan, the minute the leaves begin changing and pumpkin spice mania takes over, us midwesterners know what's coming next: six months of cold, dark, motivation-less months of painstaking boredom, malaise, and, yes, S.A.D. Before we get too down in the dumps and abuse our BetterHelp account, there's a bubbly, hoppy, totally autumnal celebration that will have us dizzy with, well, beer. The 12th annual Detroit Fall Beer Festival is once again invading Detroit's Eastern Market as one of the largest all-Michigan brew tasting events in the country. This year, however, the Detroit Fall Festival is packing in all the sipping and chugging into a single day rather than the previous two days which, if we're being honest, is probably wise for anyone over the age of 30. With each ticket purchase, revelers are awarded 15 drink tokens, and each one allows for a 3-oz. beer sample. Presented by the Michigan Brewers Guild, DBF will feature more than 800 craft beers from nearly 120 Michigan breweries. Food will be available for purchase which might as well be a legal requirement when tossing back so many tasty brews. Remember, drive responsibly, or better yet, buy a $5 designated driver ticket. —Jerilyn Jordan

Gold Over America

Sunday, 10/24: If you've been bumming since Aug. 9., the day after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics wrapped, don't flip out — or do, just remember to stretch first. Detroit is getting some face time with some of the greatest gymnasts of all time, including, well, arguably the greatest gymnast of all time. Serving up Olympic gold realness via the 35-city Gold Over America Tour are decorated gymnasts Jordan Chiles, MyKayla Skinner, Grace McCallum, Jade Carey, Laurie Hernandez, Katelyn Ohashi, Morgan Hurd, Peng-Peng Lee, and Simone Biles, among others. "The show embodies the themes of empowerment and togetherness which was on display in Tokyo," Biles said in a statement. "Together, all the gymnasts on this tour want to inspire the next generation of women and athletes."

The spectacle, which is described as "a high-energy gymnastics-meets-pop concert spectacular," will feature the performers' famous routines as well as career highlights and personal videos. The performance will also give fans an opportunity to dance in the show's finale alongside all the gymnasts. But didn't all these incredible athletes just perform for millions of people? Why do it again, without the allure of taking home the gold? Well, event organizers say the tour emerged from the gymnasts "personal values of empowerment, friendship, positive body image, mental health awareness, and self-confidence."

And this isn't coming out of nowhere — in fact, mental health among athletes, performers, and youth was something that was thrust into the spotlight when Biles, a four-time gold medal champion and most decorated U.S. athlete of all time, withdrew from the individual all-around competition finals during this year's Olympics in an effort to prioritize her mental health. "I have to put my pride aside," Biles said after pulling out. "I have to do what's right for me and focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being. That's why I decided to take a step back." Can we give her a gold medal for being a badass? — Jerilyn Jordan

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