18 can't-miss events happening in metro Detroit this week

By Metro Times editorial staff on Wed, Nov 30, 2016 at 7:25 pm

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Thursday, 12/1
The S.O.S. Band and Midnight Star
@ Sound Board Detroit
Take your time (do it right) when you’re buying tickets to see the S.O.S. Band. One of the most influential and talented electro-funk bands to come out of the 1980s, The S.O.S. Band is sure to be a treat to see live. They’ll be joined by Midnight Star, another fantastically vibrant ’80s funk band, and if disco was your thing back in the day, you probably remember their second album, Standing Together, which reached No. 54 on the R&B chart. The show is going to be a dance party, so go get your groove on.
Show starts at 8 p.m.; 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; soundboarddetroit.com. Tickets are $35-$50.

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Thur-Sun 12/1-4
Twas A Girl’s Night Before Christmas the Musical
@ City Theatre
Remember a couple years ago when Olympia Entertainment and City Theatre brought you a cheeky little musical about five friends who spend a night on the town? Well, the women of Girls Night the Musical are back and this time they’re getting through the holiday season together, one glass of wine at a time. They’ll be singing classic holiday tunes like “Santa Baby” and “Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” pop classics like “Lady Marmalade” and “Stayin’ Alive,” and new songs like “I Will Survive (the Holidays).”
Shows start at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday with 3 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday; 2301 Woodward Ave., Detroit; olympiaentertainment.com; 313-471-3465; tickets are $38.
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Friday, 12/2
Deeper Dive: Bite of the Amazon
@ Belle Isle Aquarium
Belle Isle’s Albert Kahn-designed aquarium is one of the most magical places in the city, but it always seems to need some work. It is 112 years old, after all. Sometimes the beautiful blue-green glass ceiling tiles need replacing, other times outdated tanks need updating. Whatever work needs done, the Belle Isle Conservancy manages to craft an exciting event to raise funds all the while ensuring people enjoy this precious gem. This evening of fundraising comes with a special guest of honor: the red-bellied piranha of the Amazon River. Guests will get up close and personal with the beautiful fish plus hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
Starts at 8 p.m.; 900 Inselruhe Ave., Detroit; belleisleconservancy.org; 313-821-5428; tickets are $40 for general admission and $100 for VIP.
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Friday, 12/2
Enter the Haggis
@ The Ark
Since 1995, Enter the Haggis have led the charge among Celtic folk rock bands, delighting fans with their memorable performances, inspired songwriting, musical proficiency, and high quality recordings. The Toronto-based band has released eight acclaimed studio albums, the most recent debuting at No. 9 on the Billboard Heatseekers charts.
Starts at 7:30 p.m.; 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-763-8587; $20.
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Fri-Sun, 12/2-4
Detroit Urban Craft Fair
@ Masonic Temple
You’ve already bought every toy in the toy store. You’ve outstayed your welcome at Macy’s — it’s time to get some shopping done somewhere other than the mall, and the Detroit Urban Craft Fair is the place to do it. You’ll have access to over 100 local and national makers and crafters, and they’ve all curated the best of the wares to make finishing your Christmas shopping a breeze. In the past we’ve bought jewelry, stuffed animals, food products, coffee, and more. Check out their website before heading out to get an idea of who and what will be available.
Runs 6-9 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday; 500 Temple St., Detroit; detroiturbancraftfair.com; tickets are $10 on Friday night and $1 on Saturday and Sunday.
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Sat-Sun, 12/3-4
The Lodge
@ The Eastern
When you’re done shopping at the Detroit Urban Craft Fair (or before you head over, up to you), pop on over to the Lodge, where even more local vendors will be selling their crafty wares. Their vendor list includes names like Detroit Rose Candle, Rebel Nell, Old White House, Detroit Bicycle Co., Sharklion, McClary Bros., and others. It will be a much smaller shopping experience than its competitor at the Masonic Temple, but it’s still worthwhile if you’re looking to pick up some unique gifts to stash under your tree. Plus, it’s free!
Runs 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday; 3434 Russell St., Detroit; entry is free.
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Sat-Sun, 12/3-4
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer the Musical
@ Fox Theatre
Baby boomers and millennials alike get a warm, fuzzy feeling when Burl Ives begins to retell the tale of a certain red-nosed reindeer. The 1964 made-for-TV movie has long been considered a classic, and like all classics it’s now been bastardized by a touring musical. At least all the integral characters — Rudolph, Clarice, Donner, Comet, Hermey the elf, and Yukon Cornelius — made it into the stage show. As for those warm, fuzzy feelings? Well, they must have been miscast.
Shows start at 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday; 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; olympiaentertainment.com; 313-471-3200 tickets are $25, $37, $45, and $60.
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Saturday, 12/3
Eroders/The Lipschitz/Primitiv Parts
@ The Painted Lady Lounge
Eroders is one of the city’s coolest garage/kitchen rock bands. Listen to “The Land Of” or “Doctor Says” and you’ll hear how great this band is. It’s music to jump around to, blare in your house or car, and it’s music that you definitely want to see performed live. The Lipschitz — Rachael Boswell and Daniel Brady Lynch — hail from Savannah, Georgia, and they have made a pretty excellent EP out of Pillow Face. Detroit’s best garage-ish/goth-ish rock band Primitiv Parts will also perform. Songs like “So Dark” and “CCW” show how spooky and groovy the all-girl band can be.
The show is at 9 p.m.; 2930 Jacob St., Hamtramck; facebook.com/ThePaintedLadyLounge; Tickets are $5.
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Saturday, 12/3
Merry & Bright: Holiday Lights Tour
@ Grand Trunk Pub
Silver bells! It’s Christmastime in the city! Take a ride on a bus packed with family, friends, and fellow Detroiters and get a gander at all the beautiful holiday lights on display around the city. The tour travels through Campus Martius, the historic Boston-Edison district, Detroit Zoo’s Wild Lights, and the Wayne County Lightfest, so you’re getting plenty of sparkly bang for those 50 bucks. The price of admission includes a toasty warm ride on the bus, plus admission to Wild Lights and Lightfest, plus snacks, hot drinks, and special prizes. It’s BYOB, and there will also be an ugly sweater contest.
Tour runs from 5:30-10:30 p.m.; 612 Woodward Ave., Detroit; thedetroitbus.com; tickets are $50.
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Saturday, 12/3
Joel McHale
@ MGM Grand Event Center
Joel McHale is the funniest guy in the world — if you’re asking Joel McHale anyway. He’s also got super douchey hair and we’re guessing he regularly gets mistaken for Scott Disick. OK, that’s enough Joel McHale bashing for now. C’mon guys, let’s be civil. He’s known for being the host of E! Network’s The Soup, and he’s co-hosted Live! With Kelly a couple times too. He’s been in movies with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, just to give you an idea of how big a star this guy is. We’re guessing he’ll make a lot of jokes that only white people will get.
Doors open at 7 p.m.; 1777 Third St., Detroit; mgmgranddetroit.com; 877.888.2121; tickets are $60.
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Saturday, 12/3
Mac Miller
@ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Easily the best white rapper to come out of Pittsburgh, Mac Miller has been making waves since his first mixtape, But My Mackin’ Ain’t Easy, came out in 2007, when he was only 15 years old. Now Miller has released 10 solo mixtapes, and his fourth studio album, The Divine Feminine, came out in September. From working with fellow Pennsylvanian Wiz Khalifa to the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, Miller has made his fair share of friends in the industry and is getting more famous as the days go by.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; royaloakmusictheatre.com; Tickets are $34 in advance, start at $40 at the door.
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Saturday, 12/3
Noel Night
@ Midtown Detroit
We gotta hand it to Midtown, they sure know how to inspire people to indulge in an outdoor Christmas celebration even when the temperature is subzero. This year they’ll have all the typical accountremal (institutions like the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Public Library, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, and the like will be open and free of charge during this celebration), plus free entertainment by the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Tartan Terrors, Breathe Owl Breathe, Little Wings, Lac La Belle, Bill Harris, Slavic Soul Party, and Hudson Vagabond Puppets. There will also be horse-drawn carriages, carolers, shopping, and various out activities to entertain the entire family.
Runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Midtown, Detroit; free.
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Saturday, 12/3
The First Of His Kind: The Roland W. Hayes Story
@ Music Hall
Roland W. Hayes probably isn’t a name that conjures up memories of history or social studies classes, but the man had a huge impact on history, nonetheless. He was a groundbreaking lyric tenor who broke through class and race boundaries left and right throughout his musical career. He interpreted European art songs and also created a repertoire of classic Negro spirituals — he was so good he could fill both Carnegie Hall and the New York Symphony Hall in Boston three times a season. This stage show will tell a tremendous story.
Starts at 8 p.m.; 350 Madison Ave., Detroit; musichall.org; 313-887-8500; tickets are $30 to $50.
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Saturday, 12/3
Tiny Moving Parts
@ The Loving Touch
The most emo Minnesotans you’ll ever hear, Tiny Moving Parts will be in Detroit soon, and you can bet your bottom dollar that all of the cool kids will be at the show. They’ve toured with the Front-Bottoms, the Wonder Years, Modern Baseball and more, and their latest album, Celebrate, has been a massive success among fans of the genre since the release in May. Members of the trio Dylan Mattheisen, William Chevalier, and Matthew Chevalier are an actual family, which is important to them. The three have bonded over music since their junior high days of angsting to Blink-182, and they have only improved since then.
Doors open at 7 p.m.; 22634 Woodward Ave., Detroit; thelovingtouchferndale.com; Tickets are $13.
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Tuesday, 12/6
Hed PE
@ The Token Lounge
Hed PE, one of the pioneering bands of raprock, or “G-Rock” as they refer to it (gangsta rap and rock), has never ceased to be shocking and cutting edge. Since their 1994 formation in Huntington Beach, California, the band has garnered attention from the punk and metal scenes, as well as from the hardcore rap scene, and have put out nine studio albums. They’re inherently political, and that’s something that their music definitely doesn’t shy away from, to say the least. In the current lineup, the only founding member left is singer Jared Gomes, but the band still is as passionate as ever, and the show will definitely be lively.
Show starts at 7 p.m.; 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; thetokenlounge.com.
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Wednesday, 12/7
Peter Yorn
@ The Magic Bag
Even if you’re not sure who Peter Yorn is, you know who he is. He’s opened for R.E.M., Foo Fighters, Sunny Day Real Estate, Weezer, and even the Dixie Chicks. Plus, he released an album (Break Up) with Scarlett Johansson in 2009. Since his 2001 debut album Musicforthemorningafter (“Life on a Chain” is a really good song) Yorn has stayed active in alt-rock scene, and released his sixth studio album, Arranging Time, this year. He’s a mainstay for alternative fans worldwide, and his work has only gotten better with time.
Doors at 8 p.m.; 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; themagicbag.com; Tickets are $29.50.
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Wednesday, 12/7
Lizzo
@ El Club
She’s not even 30 and she’s been a founding member of not one, but four indie hip-hop groups. You might have seen Lizzo, a transplant from Houston to Minneapolis, on Full Frontal With Samantha Bee the day after the presidential election. She performed a comforting rendition of “Lift Every Voice” and the sassy, girl-anthem “Good As Hell.” Since starting her career in music back in 2011, she’s released two solo albums (Lizzobangers, Big Grrrl Small World) and her Coconut Oil EP, which just came out this year. Both of her albums have gained critical acclaim, including with Time, Spin, and The Guardian. Coconut Oil is definitely her best work so far, with great tracks like “Scuse Me,” which is another pretty rad feminist anthem, and “Worship Me,” which is a playful dance song (and feels a little bit like if the s.o. in Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You” had recorded a song).
Show starts at 8 p.m.; 4114 Vernor Hwy., Detroit; elclubdetroit.com; Tickets are $15 in advance and $17 at the door.
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Thursday, 12/8
Flavor
@ Garden Theater
Get a heaping helping of Detroit’s up-and-coming culinary scene as well as established dining institutions at Metro Times’ inaugural tasting event. Flavor will feature samples from restaurants like Rock City Eatery, Jim Brady’s Detroit, Detroit Dog Co., Detroit BBQ Co., Louisiana Creole Gumbo, El Charro, A Serendipity Cakery, Mr. B’s Pub, Coach Insignia, and more. Plus, there will be cocktails!
Runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.; 3929 Woodward Ave., Detroit; metrotimestickets.com; tickets are $30 for general admission, $40 with parking.
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