WDET Comedy Showcase: What's So Funny About Detroit? - JUNE
2023-06-29 18:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Old Miami, 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit, MI, United States
The WDET comedy showcase What’s So Funny About Detroit? is back!
Each showcase brings a new set of six of the city’s funniest stand-up comedians to the stage on Thursday, June 29 to the iconic Old Miami bar & backyard in the Cass Corridor / Midtown neighborhood of Detroit.
WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper (host of CultureShift, weekdays 12 – 2p) will serve as your host and curator of comedy for the evening as he introduces you to stand-up comics from around Detroit.
This event is a benefit for 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. The cost of your tickets directly support WDET and will also go towards compensating the comedians, who are critical members of the city’s independent comedy scene and larger performing arts community.
Tickets are $25 per person. Tickets can be purchased in advance online right here. Walk-up ticket sales at the venue are available *if the event is not sold out*
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Show starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. The show will be less than two hours long.
This show will be recorded live for a later airing on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station.
This event will be held in the gorgeous backyard of the Old Miami. Please dress appropriately for the weather. In the event of rain or severe weather, this event will be canceled and your tickets will be refunded.
This event is BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR and/or BLANKET. Think of it as a comedy picnic. A food truck will be on site selling food (Mizz Ruth’s Grill). Outside food and drink is not permitted.
This is an uncensored comedy event. The opinions and jokes of the comedians are completely their own and are not a reflection on WDET’s editorial standards.
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MEET THE COMEDIANS:
Jeff Horste
LA resident and Detroit native Jeff Horste was hand picked by Kevin Hart to appear on Comedy Central on two separate occasions. Once with his appearance on “Hart Of The City” and again in his half hour special, “The Next Level”, both produced by Kevin Hart. Jeff was selected by Killer Mike to be a comedy ambassador on the Weedmaps sponsored TV show Tumbleweeds on Vice TV. He’s appeared on “Laughs” on both Hulu and Fox and performs at top comedy clubs and venues across the country. He has performed in the Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival, Atlanta’s Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, the Boston Comedy Festival, Limestone, and the Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival. Jeff possesses the rare versatility to connect with diverse audiences and doesn’t shy away from unique locations. He’s performed in theaters, living rooms, dispensaries, weddings, ice cream parlors, nudist colonies, parking lots, backyards, museums, and hopefully on a “stage” near you!

Josh Adams
Josh Adams has been crowned Detroit’s “King of Comedy” since first picking up a mic back in 2006. Watching Josh is like watching a jazz musician perform. There are melodies you’ll recognize — the setup, the punch line. But he’s always adding new notes to premises you’ve heard before, commanding the full attention of the room as he finds new rhythms and patterns to play off. And like a great musician, he rarely misses a beat. From sold out theaters to the back rooms of bars, Josh brings his unique voice to audiences of all types, blending lightning-fast improvisation and crowd work with written material that draws on pop culture to everyday life. From sold out theaters to the back rooms of bars, Josh brings his unique voice to audiences of all types, blending lightning-fast improvisation and crowd work with written material to Detroit crowds and beyond. He’s appeared on national TV including a high-profile appearance on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” BET’s “Apollo Live” and Fox, and has opened for household names like Roy Wood Jr., D.L. Hughley and Monique.
Jesus Rodriguez
Jesus Rodriguez is a fast rising star in the Detroit Comedy scene. Hailing all the way from Inglewood, California, this Detroit diehard takes audiences through a roller coaster of emotions (mostly good ones) to land on the laugh. A first generation Mexican American, and longtime resident of Detroit, Jesus uses pit stops in his life to craft jokes and bring a room together. Jesus is a producer at The Independent Comedy Club where you can catch him most weekends on stage, running sound, bartending or drinking a $2 Hamms.
Sam Rager
Sam Rager has been sharing her charmingly dark perspective with audiences for over a decade. Rager has been a headliner at both the inaugural Detroit Women of Comedy Festival and inaugural Stand U.P. Festival, named a rising star in Detroit’s comedy scene by 101.9 WDET, and her debut album Trigger Warning can be heard on SiriusXM.
T. Barb
Tiffany “T. Barb” Barber is a comedian, actress, chef, author, philanthropist, entrepreneur and producer who quit a 14 year career in social work to pursue her dreams. As a first generation college graduate Tiffany broke the curse of incarceration in her family, never allowing the odds to beat her. Always known for being funny and keeping a smile, she discovered stand up comedy & has been blazing stages since ! Known for her hardworking nature, comedic versatility, sharp improv, unique style & likable personality, she is the perfect fit for any project.
Blain Hill
Blain Hill has been a mainstay of the Detroit comedy scene for almost a decade. Thanks to his sharp wit, clever joke writing and deadpan delivery Blain has been lucky enough to have performed at clubs and festivals across the country and is a regular performer at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle, The Detroit House of Comedy, and The Independent Comedy Club.
What’s So Funny About Detroit? is supported by The Finnish Long Drink.

The Moth StorySLAM — Sweat
2023-07-06 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show!
This month’s theme is “sweat.” Prepare a five-minute story about perspiration. Realizing you forgot to wear deodorant to the job interview. Taking on that Ghost Pepper Wings challenge. Getting busted sneaking in past curfew. Bungee jumping or hot yoga. Opening night or the Sunday scaries. Being told “we need to talk” or fretting the small stuff that makes your palms clammy, knees weak, arms heavy…
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Show starts: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Detroit’s StorySLAMs go on sale three weeks prior to the show date at 3 p.m. ET.
Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marble Bar is 18+ unless with a parent or guardian.

WDET Comedy Showcase: What's So Funny About Detroit? - JULY
2023-07-27 18:30 - 21:30 | Old Miami, 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit, MI, United States
The WDET comedy showcase What’s So Funny About Detroit? is back!
Each showcase brings a new set of six of the city’s funniest stand-up comedians to the stage on Thursday, July 27 to the iconic Old Miami bar & backyard in the Cass Corridor / Midtown neighborhood of Detroit.
WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper (host of CultureShift, weekdays 12 – 2p) will serve as your host and curator of comedy for the evening as he introduces you to stand-up comics from around Detroit.
This event is a benefit for 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. The cost of your tickets directly support WDET and will also go towards compensating the comedians, who are critical members of the city’s independent comedy scene and larger performing arts community.
Tickets are $25 per person. Tickets can be purchased in advance online right here. Walk-up ticket sales at the venue are available *if the event is not sold out*
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Show starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. The show will be less than two hours long.
This show will be recorded live for a later airing on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station.
This event will be held in the gorgeous backyard of the Old Miami. Please dress appropriately for the weather. In the event of rain or severe weather, this event will be canceled and your tickets will be refunded.
This event is BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR and/or BLANKET. Think of it as a comedy picnic. A food truck will be on site selling food (Mizz Ruth’s Grill). Outside food and drink is not permitted.
This is an uncensored comedy event. The opinions and jokes of the comedians are completely their own and are not a reflection on WDET’s editorial standards.
New for 2023: Mario’s Restaurant is offering the special package that includes complimentary shuttle service to and from the Old Miami, happy hour specials and more. Get more details at mariosdetroit.com.
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MEET THE COMEDIANS:
Camila Ballario
Camila Ballario is an Argentine-born comedian from Michigan. Voted ‘Best Comedian’ by Current Magazine in 2020, winner of ‘Best of Fest’ at both the 2021 Big Pine Comedy Festival, and 2022 Laugh After Dark Comedy Festival. Camila has been entertaining crowds far and wide with her fresh brand of stand-up, where she often joins her ideas with songs to give you a unique look into her perspective on the realities of being a woman in her 30s. Camila will be releasing her first comedy special, recorded in Detroit, MI, in 2023!
Zech
Zech is a Cass Corridor resident, visual and performance artist and Ryan Patrick Hooper enthusiast.
Genevive Clinton
One of the hottest up and coming comedians in the country, Genivive has opened for Joe Rogan, Neal Brennan, Tim Dillon, Ron White and many other top headliners . From the East side of Detroit, she combines her unique perspective with her killer punchlines, and destroys everywhere she goes. She travels around the country performing her unique brand of stand up, and Currently is based out of ATX.
Brett Mercer
Brett Mercer has been performing comedy and producing shows in Detroit since 2014. He’s performed in bars, coffee shops, living rooms, recycling centers, and (occasionally) comedy clubs all over the country, wondering what “the deal” is with a variety of topics, large and small. He is one of the hosts of the long-running comedy podcast Big Time Garbage. He has performed at Motor City Comedy Festival (Detroit), Whiskey Bear comedy festival (Columbus), and Let’s Fest (Fort Wayne) and has shared the stage with Paul F. Thompkins, Andy Kindler, Todd Barry, and Stavros Halkias.
Tre Stewart
Tre’ Stewart found Comedy pretty early in life. While other kids were watching cartoons he was watching Saturday Night Live, writing jokes and doing impressions preparing himself for his inevitable career in Stand Up Comedy. Tre’ first picked up the mic 9 Years ago at the tender age of 16 and never looked back. Stewart possesses a relaxed, laid-back comedic delivery where the punch lines come in more of an intimate and conversational style of someone sharing a funny story over the water cooler at work or on the basketball court. The Detroit Native left the motor city in 2012 to pursue his dreams of performing comedy in Los Angeles. Just 6 months after moving to LA he was taken in by the World Famous Comedy Store and has been honing his craft there and various other clubs in and around the LA area ever since. Stewart made his television debut in April performing stand up on the show Laughs on Fox.
Vishnu Akella
Vishnu Akella is a Michigan born, Los Angeles based, stand-up comedian and writer. His debut special ‘For You’ released in 2022 and was featured in the New York Times. He has performed at clubs and colleges around the country and has opened for headliners including Ken Jeong, Michelle Wolf, and Hasan Minhaj.
What’s So Funny About Detroit? is supported by The Finnish Long Drink.

The Moth StorySLAM — Back to School
2023-08-03 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show!
This month’s theme is “back to school.” Prepare a five-minute story about hitting the books. Classroom antics and lunchtime hierarchies; detention delinquent or teacher’s pet. Tales of picture day primping, standing up to the bullies, or forging a hall pass to say hi to your crush.
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Show starts: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Detroit’s StorySLAMs go on sale three weeks prior to the show date at 3 p.m. ET.
Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marble Bar is 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

WDET Sounds Like Detroit Present: Top Detroit Tiny Desk Contest Performers!
2023-08-11 19:00 - 21:30 | New Center Park, 2998 West Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Join us on Friday, August 11 at New Center Park for a musical showcase of Detroit Tiny Desk Contest talent hosted by WDET’s very own music show hosts! With over 110 Detroit entries to the 2023 Tiny Desk Contest, WDET is bringing you the top five musician performances selected by Detroit fan voting.
Sounds Like Detroit 2023 Performers:

Jahz
Carmel Liburdi
Kingfisher
Pregnant Teenage Hospital
Cesar Aquino

Gates open at 6 p.m., show starts promptly at 7 p.m.
Food trucks and beverages will be on-site.
This is a BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR OR BLANKET-style event. Seating is not guaranteed.
Ticket proceeds benefit WDET, 101.9 FM, Detroit’s NPR non profit radio station and the show’s musicians.
The show is located at New Center Park, 2998 W Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202. Street parking is available.

WDET Comedy Showcase: What's So Funny About Detroit? - AUGUST
2023-08-31 18:30 - 21:30 | Old Miami, 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit, MI, United States
The WDET comedy showcase What’s So Funny About Detroit? is back!
Each showcase brings a new set of six of the city’s funniest stand-up comedians to the stage on Thursday, August 31 to the iconic Old Miami bar & backyard in the Cass Corridor / Midtown neighborhood of Detroit.
WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper (host of CultureShift, weekdays 12 – 2p) will serve as your host and curator of comedy for the evening as he introduces you to Brad Wenzel, Comrade Tripp, Roni Shanell, Gwen Sunkel, Ken Witzgall, and Alex Bozinovic.
This event is a benefit for 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. The cost of your tickets directly support WDET and will also go towards compensating the comedians, who are critical members of the city’s independent comedy scene and larger performing arts community.
Tickets are $25 per person. Tickets can be purchased in advance online right here. Walk-up ticket sales at the venue are available *if the event is not sold out*
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Show starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. The show will be less than two hours long.
This show will be recorded live for a later airing on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station.
This event will be held in the gorgeous backyard of the Old Miami. Please dress appropriately for the weather. In the event of rain or severe weather, this event will be canceled and your tickets will be refunded. No pets are allowed.
This event is BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR and/or BLANKET. Think of it as a comedy picnic. A food truck will be on site selling food (Mizz Ruth’s Grill). Outside food and drink is not permitted.
This is an uncensored comedy event. The opinions and jokes of the comedians are completely their own and are not a reflection on WDET’s editorial standards.
New for 2023: Mario’s Restaurant is offering a special package that includes complimentary shuttle service to and from the Old Miami, happy hour specials and more. Get more details at mariosdetroit.com.
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MEET THE COMEDIANS:
Brad Wenzel
Brad Wenzel’s offbeat one-liners, dry delivery, and unassuming presence are what set him apart from other comedians. Brad has made 3 stand-up appearances on CONAN. His debut comedy album Sweet Nothings was released on Jack White’s rock label, Third Man Records and can be heard on SiriusXM. Paste Magazine described Brad’s 2023 special, joke. joke. joke. as “Watching Wenzel feels like hanging out with your funniest, weirdest friend; it’s relaxing and utterly enjoyable.” Since the age of 17, Brad has toured the country, honing his unique non-sequitur style of joke telling, all while maintaining an original, comedic voice. Simply put, he’s really funny. Other appearances include “New Faces” at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival, and Bob & Tom.
Comrade Tripp
Comrade Tripp stopped growing decades ago. He is antisocial and never feels present. Yet, he has found himself with a growing presence on social media. It is the only way he will ever find himself. He’s lost. He’s a loser. He can’t win. He has never won anything in his life, and he never will. This is all that he has; a fraught flock of followers from afar, who pity his painful pursuits of performance. He can’t juggle or whistle, so alliteration is his only avenue of whimsy. Not all of his jokes are alliterative. Most of them are just kind of sad, the rest are entirely sad. He still lives in Minnesota for some reason? To stick to his roots, being in Minnesota keeps him sad. Despite his despondent disposition, he’s a child at heart; insomuch that he cannot be trusted to take care of himself and has no self esteem whatsoever. The rest of his body feels very old.
Roni Shanell
Hailing from the Motor City , Roni Shanell is a rising star in comedy. She began her career in 2015 and has been on fire ever since! She’s performed across the country at comedy clubs such as Hollywood Improv, Chocolate Sundaes at the Laugh Factory in LA, The Comedy Store, Pittsburgh Improv, Toledo Funny Bone, Detroit House of Comedy. In 2022 she Headlined at Carolines on Broadway!! She won Detroit’s Laugh Masters competition in 2018 and was the winner of the 2020 Sway in the Morning Comedy Search. Her stage presence is like no other! Roni Shanell is fun, energetic, and unapologetic!!!
Gwen Sunkel
Gwen Sunkel is an Indianapolis comedian, emcee, and character actor. She performs regularly at Helium Comedy Club and The White Rabbit Cabaret where she is a cast member with An Evening With The Authors*. You’ve seen her at Cincinnati Brew Ha-Ha, Yuckfest, and Limestone Comedy Festival and on the Vice TV Series ‘Hunters.’ Her album ‘No More Tears’ debuted at #1 on the Apple Music and Amazon charts. Gwen is also contributing writer for AWF Magazine and her comedy has been seen on Buzzfeed and EBaum’s World. She is a producer of Middle Ground Comedy Festival and has co-hosted a series of benefit shows that have raised over $15,000 for reproductive health organizations in the Midwest.
Ken Witzgall
Ken has performed at Zanies and the Laugh Factory in Chicago, Morty’s in Indianapolis, and the House of Blues in New Orleans, and other venues throughout the Mid West. He’s opened for Nick Thune, Eric Andre, Todd Barry, and Hannibal Buress, while producing numerous showcases and open mics with those beautiful bastards in the Windy City. He’s opened for Jon Dore at Comedy on State in Madison, and performed at the Motor City Comedy Festival, as well as the the New Orleans Comedy and Arts Festival with Josh Johnson and Neil Hamburger. These days, Ken can be found working regularly at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle (Royal Oak, MI), The Independent Comedy Club (Ant Hall, Hamtramck, MI), as well as the Funny Business Agency and various mics and showcases around Metro Detroit.
Alex Bozinovic
Alex Bozinovic began his stand-up comedy career in 2014, in Detroit, MI. He quickly became a staple in the Detroit indie stand-up comedy scene. Alex has opened for nationally touring comedians Chris Gethard, Eddie Pepitone, Jen Kirkman, Corrine Fisher, Joe Mande, Stavros Halkias, Shane Torres and DeAnne Smith. He has also appeared in Limestone Comedy Festival, Let’s Fest, Gilda’s Laughfest, Middle Ground Comedy Festival, Fountain City Comedy Festival, and The Midwest Queer Comedy Festival. In 2021, Alex was featured in The Hour Magazine as one of 6 stand-outs in the Detroit Comedy Scene. Alex is also a co-founder of The Independent Comedy Club in Hamtramck, MI. Alex co-created The Burt Selleck Podcast with his friend and fellow comic, John Mahar. It is a comedic show about never letting your co-host get a leg up on you. Alex also plays Thomas Luge on The TRUTHcast, a parody conspiracy theory podcast he created with Mike Bobbitt. If two podcasts wasn’t enough, Alex started The Lunchpilled Podcast with fellow Detroit comedian Brett Mercer where they share a half satirical and half genuine opinion on the modern day workplace. Alex is a standup comedian who can be seen on stages all over the Midwest and beyond.
What’s So Funny About Detroit? is supported by The Finnish Long Drink.

The Moth StorySLAM — Revenge
2023-09-07 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show!
This month’s theme is “revenge.” Prepare a five-minute story about retaliation. Proportional justice, payback, comeuppance and laughing last. You can serve it up cold or simply live well and sometimes karma steps in and does all the work for you. Tell us about when they got theirs or you got yours. Revenge can consume you to ruin or give you the satisfaction necessary to move on. Do unto others what they have done to you.
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Show starts: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Detroit’s StorySLAMs go on sale three weeks prior to the show date at 3 p.m. ET.
Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marble Bar is 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Get tickets »

2023 WDET Fall Fundraiser
2023-09-08 06:00 - 2023-09-16 23:59 | MI
The 2023 WDET fall fundraiser happens Sept. 8-16 on 101.9 FM and streaming at wdet.org.
Support the shows and podcasts you love — including Detroit Today, CultureShift, Curiosi-D and more — with a donation and join Team DET! Your generous gift helps keep Detroit’s premier public radio station on the air.
Donate now at wdet.org/give, by phone at 1-800-959-9338 or by mail with a check payable to “WDET” and sending it to the address below:
WDET 101.9
ATTN: Fall Fundraiser
PO Box 675187
Detroit, Mich 48267-5187
“’Team DET’ is comprised of not only station employees who bring news, programming and community events to Detroit, but donor membership represents the lifeblood of WDET, says WDET general manager Mary Zatina. “This annual financial support and engagement are the main reasons why we’ve been able to continue to deliver news, music and conversation for nearly 75 years. The 2023 fall fundraiser brings together our talented hosts, reporters and staff to connect with listeners and donors. This is a reminder that they are part of WDET, a community-based public radio station. We need their annual support for a vital WDET future.”
“WDET is a part of the fabric of Detroit. Donors and listeners guide the news, music, arts and culture and conversations we air,” says Adam Fox, WDET program director. “WDET serves the community. What we offer is heard nowhere else. For those who value independent, trustworthy news from NPR and locally-engaged reporters, or those who enjoy our local activities and events like comedy shows and Essential Cooking events, or those who listen to our expertly-curated music shows and are informed, educated and inspired, we ask them to give.”

Ann Delisi's Essential Cooking: Mabel Gray
2023-09-11 18:30 - 21:30 | Mabel Gray, 23825 John R Road, Hazel Park, MI, United States
WDET wraps up its fiscal year on September 30th and we couldn’t think of a better way to end the year than with a dinner at Mabel Gray restaurant in Hazel Park where our Essential Cooking dinners began many years ago.
Join us on Monday, September 11th at Mabel Gray, as James Beard Award Winning Chef James Rigato will prepare a 5-course dinner with a wine pairing to support WDET and the Mabel Gray staff. This promises to be a culinary adventure created by Chef Rigato, and served by some of the most knowledgable and dedicated restaurant teams in Metro Detroit who are graciously opening their doors to us to benefit WDET.
Tickets are $250
Doors at 6:30pm. Dinner is served at 7pm.
No substitutions. If you have severe food allergy, please contact Mabel Gray directly. If you would like to be seated with a separate ticket holder, please email Nicole Amine. nicole.amine@wdet.org.
Finally, Chef James Rigato and I co-host the Essential Cooking Podcast, highlighting Chefs and industry professionals, while having some fun along the way. For more information about Ann Delisi’s Essential Cooking, click here.

WDET Shades of Ireland Travel Preview
2023-09-11 19:30 - 20:30 | MI
Detroit’s NPR Station 101.9 WDET is offering listeners another amazing travel opportunity! Join us on a 13-day trip to Ireland featuring lively pubs, green landscapes and such iconic signs as the Cliffs of Moher and the magnificent Giant’s Causeway, all while making our way to Belfast to experience the Titanic Museum.
Learn about the itinerary for the April 2024 Shades of Ireland, featuring Northern Ireland trip during a travel preview via Zoom on Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Register »

WDET Presents: "Searching For Sugar Man" @ the Detroit Film Theatre
2023-09-27 19:00 - 21:30 | The Detroit Film Theatre, 5200 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Join WDET on Wednesday, September 27 at the historic Detroit Film Theatre inside the Detroit Institute of Arts for a special screening of Searching for Sugar Man in honor of the late Sixto Rodriguez, who passed away at the age of 81 on August 8th. The Oscar-winning documentary film follows two South Africans’ pursuit to find their musical hero — beloved Detroiter Sixto Rodriguez. He was a musician, songwriter, singer, lifelong Detroiter and friend to WDET.
Show begins promptly at 7PM.
Tickets are $10.50.
The Detroit Film Theatre is located at the John R entrance of the DIA.
Assistive listening devices will be available.

The Moth StorySLAM — Adulting
2023-10-05 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show!
This month’s theme is “adulting.” Prepare a five-minute story about the highs and lows of coming of age, and the trials and tribulations of getting there. Old enough to know better or wishing someone else would grow the heck up. Faking it ’til you make it, rites of passage and the great onslaught of responsibility. You know what they say: age is just a number.
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Show starts: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Detroit’s StorySLAMs go on sale three weeks prior to the show date at 3 p.m. ET.
Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marble Bar is 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Get tickets »

Ann Delisi's Essential Conversations: Nabil Ayers @ Third Man Records
2023-10-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Third Man Records, 441 W Canfield, Detroit, MI, 48201, United States
Limited Seating Available – First Come, First Served
Join WDET’s Ann Delisi at Third Man Records on Thursday, October 19 for a conversation with Nabil Ayers, the son of the famed vibraphonist and funk, soul and jazz musician Roy Ayers. Ayers will join in open dialogue with Ann, discussing his acclaimed memoir My Life In The Sunshine (Viking / Penguin Random House).
My Life in the Sunshine details Ayers’ struggle to connect with his father, and his journey to build an identity of his own despite his father’s absence. The book includes stories about growing up biracial with a single mother, living in Seattle, touring in rock bands, and how a job in a record store led him to become president of the U.K.-based record company Beggars Group, which represents Adele, The National, Radiohead and many others. My Life in the Sunshine has garnered widespread praise since its issue in June 2022, laudited by authors, musicians, and actors alike.
Ayers’ memoir provides a dense foundation for conversation, as it places itself at the intersection of race, class, inheritance, music, family, and love.
Ayers has written about race and music for the New York Times, Pitchfork, Code Switch, GQ, Rolling Stone and other outlets. Copies of My Life in the Sunshine will be available for sale, and Ayers will sign them following the talk.
This is a free, all ages event.

WDET's Rock & Roll Horror Show hosted by Jon Moshier
2023-10-27 19:00 - 23:00 | Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Rd., Detroit, MI, 48224, United States
***PRE-SALE HAS ENDED. TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR UNTIL EVENT IS SOLD OUT. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING WDET!***
On Friday, October 27, Jon Moshier’s annual Halloween special will crawl out of the grave and onto the stage! Garage rock royalty The Hentchmen and The 3-D Invisibles will curse us with undead performances under the moonlight on the outdoor stage of the Cadieux Cafe. Join us for a night of spooks and scares, and wear your best costume to be featured on stage as best dressed! We will be selling limited edition prints of our show poster and t-shirt designed by WDET’s Conor Anderson and featuring Tarot readings by Moon Club (CultureShift’s Amanda Le Claire and Detroit Artist Renee Willoughby).

Doors at 7PM, show at 8PM.
Tickets are $20 and will directly support WDET.
This is a 21+ event. Photo ID required for entry.
No outside food or beverage is allowed at the Cadieux Cafe.
The Cadieux Cafe is wheelchair accessible.

The Moth StorySLAM — Give and Take
2023-11-02 18:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
Buy tickets »
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show!
This month’s theme is “give and take.” Prepare a five-minute story about the push and pull, an eye for an eye, a quid pro quo. The art of compromise — or lack thereof. Finding balance or disrupting the system. A tit for tat, giving in, or seizing the crown for yourself. What do you bring to the table?
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Show starts: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Detroit’s StorySLAMs go on sale three weeks prior to the show date at 3 p.m. ET.
Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marble Bar is 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Ann Delisi's Essential Cooking: BARDA
2023-11-14 17:00 - 21:30 | BARDA, 4842 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
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For our next Essential Cooking Dinner, Ann Delisi is heading to BARDA, where Chef Javier Bardauil will prepare a five course meal for two seatings of guests on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. Plus, DJ sets from host of WDET’s Soul Saturday, Nick Austin!
BARDA Detroit is the first and only authentic Argentinian and Latin American-inspired Restaurant in Detroit. Using ancestral methods of Patagonian cooking, BARDA’s open fire is the very soul of the restaurant’s dining experience. BARDA specializes in simple yet bold dishes, combining techniques that reach far across vast geographical terrains. In November of last year, Ann Delisi and Chef James Rigato Spoke with Chef Javier about his life, restaurant, and journey from the Argentinian to the Detroit Culinary scene on the Essential Cooking Podcast.
Tickets are $150 and will directly support WDET and the BARDA Staff.
Two seatings available: 5PM and 7:30PM. Please choose carefully when purchasing your tickets and be sure you are selecting your preferred seating.
There will be no substitutions offered. If you have a dietary restriction or serious food allergy, please contact BARDA directly to confirm accommodation.
If you’d like to be seated with a separate ticket holder, please email Nicole Amine: nicole.amine@wdet.org.
MENU:
1st Course
Glazed Beets, Ajoblanco, Raspberry
2nd Course
Charred Caesar, Gem Lettuce, Parmesan, Breadcrumbs, Anchovy
3rd Course
Roasted Cauliflower, Cauliflower Bagna Cauda, Breadcrumbs
4th Course
Bife, Strip Loin Steak, Chimichurri
5th Course
Flan, Dulce de Leche, Whipped Cream

Colors of Detroit: A Benefit for WDET & Concert of Colors
2023-12-01 18:30 - 23:00 | The Motown Mansion, 918 W Boston Blvd, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
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Join us on December 1, for the first ever COLORS OF DETROIT, a celebration of the rich diversity and multiculturalism of Detroit to benefit WDET, Detroit Non-Profit Public Radio and Concert of Colors.
Colors of Detroit will be held at the Motown Mansion in the Historic Boston-Edison neighborhood – former home of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, now owned by renowned arts consultant Alan Brown. This event will feature an on-site broadcast of The Don Was Motor City Playlist with WDET’s Ann Delisi, a live performance by Bomba group Rican Struction, DJ sets by WDET music hosts Ismael Ahmed and Nick Austin, a silent auction, and strolling heavy appetizers by some of Detroit’s most celebrated Chefs:

Mamba Hamissi (Baobab Fare)
Amado Lopez (Casa Amado)
Max Hardy (Coop Detroit)
James Rigato (Mabel Gray)
Warda Bouguettaya (Warda Patisserie)

Concert of Colors is Detroit’s only free annual diversity-themed music festival featuring global music at its finest. Over its rich 31-year history, the festival has blossomed into a celebrated, beloved highlight of metro Detroit’s summer festival season- one of the few remaining large scale, free-admission music festivals in the area. WDET (101.9FM) is Detroit’s listener-supported public radio station, dedicated to providing the community with accurate news and diverse cultural and music programming. WDET is housed on the campus of Wayne State University in the heart of the Cass Corridor.
Additional event information below.
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Doors open at 6:30PM.
Tickets are $275 + EventBrite’s Fees and will directly support WDET and Concert of Colors.
Due to the nature of this event, we are unable to accommodate dietary restrictions.
The Motown Mansion is located at 918 W Boston Blvd in the Boston Edison Neighborhood. Valet and street parking will be available.
What to wear: Celebrate Detroit’s diversity by wearing colorful and creative attire!
Please note that the venue will contain stairs between rooms. This is a private residence; there will be no elevator on site.
Open bar available, cash tips for staff encouraged.
The Don Was Motor City Playlist broadcast will begin promptly at 8PM and end at 10PM. Additional entertainment will be enjoyed throughout the mansion.
The event will conclude at 11PM. We ask that you please respect the neighborhood residents upon arrival and departure.
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COLORS OF DETROIT is supported by:

ARN & NANCY TELLEM + THE DETROIT PISTONS
JENNIFER & DAN GILBERT
TOM GORES
GRETCHEN GONZALES DAVIDSON
CINDY NICHOLSON
THIRD MAN RECORDS
DOEREN MAYHEW
MARX LAYNE
COREY HARRIS
CRAIN HOMES
UNITED JEWISH FOUNDATION
ACCESS
COMCAST
THE CHARLES H. WRIGHT MUSEUM
DON MANVEL
AHMAD CHEBBANI
CHRISTINE & DAVID COLMAN
THOMAS SEBOLD & ASSOCIATES
COUP D’ETAT
HOLLY & MATT ROSSETTI
DAMIEN CRUTCHER
NJIA KAI
CBI INTERIORS
MARY ZATINA & KEVIN PRIHOD
KEN & PENNY FISCHER
MARIAM NOLAND & JIM KELLY

WDET Noel Night Open House
2023-12-02 17:00 - 22:00 | WDET, 4600 Cass Ave, Detroit, 48201, United States
Visit WDET’s studio on Saturday, Dec. 2 for a celebration of the holiday season as the Cultural Center of Detroit comes alive with over 100 participating venues.

Tour the station to see where the news, music and conversation is made
Meet some of your favorite WDET hosts
Grab some refreshments
Shop vintage WDET merch at discounted prices — perfect for holiday gifts!

WDET is located at 4600 Cass Avenue, on the first floor of Wayne State’s University Towers building and will be open from 5PM – 10PM.

The Moth StorySLAM — Home
2023-12-07 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
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The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show!
This month’s theme is “home.” Prepare a five-minute story about where the heart is. Where you’re from, your humble abode, your roots, your heritage or where your mama lives. Your comfort, refuge or domestic bliss. Or perhaps a dysfunctional swamp with no lifeboat in sight. Your zip code, your people, your culture, your pajamas. There’s no place like it.
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Show starts: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Detroit’s StorySLAMs go on sale three weeks prior to the show date at 3 p.m. ET.
Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marble Bar is 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Detroit GrandSlam: Fight or Flight 2023
2023-12-20 20:00 - 22:30 | The Senate Theatre, 6424 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI, 48210, United States
Mark your calendar for the 2023 MOTH Detroit Grand SLAM. Winners from this year’s StorySLAM series will compete at the Senate Theater in Detroit on December 20, and only ONE will take the title of “Detroit’s GrandSLAM Story Champion.” On this night, listen as ten open mic storytellers share unique, unexpected, and magical true stories.
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The Moth StorySLAM — First Impressions
2024-01-04 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
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The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show!
This month’s theme is “first impressions.” Prepare a five-minute story about initial encounters. Blind dates, fixer-uppers, catfish and long-lost twins. When your gut instincts were proven right, or when you unfairly judged a book by its cover. Day one at a new job, new school, or new city. The stinky cheese that was actually scrumptious. The singer with the gravelly voice that you grow to love. The indelible mark made upon meeting somebody for the first time.
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Show starts: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Detroit’s StorySLAMs go on sale three weeks prior to the show date at 3 p.m. ET.
Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marble Bar is 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Ann Delisi's Essential Conversations: Motown Trombonist & Arranger Paul Riser Sr.
2024-01-17 19:30 - 21:30 | Willis Show Bar, 4156 3rd Ave, Detroit, MI, 48201, United States
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Join us for Ann Delisi’s next Essential Conversation with legendary Motown arranger and trombonist, Paul Riser on Wednesday, January 17th at the Willis Show Bar. They’ll talk about his life, musical influences, and share stories about working on dozens of Motown hits during the label’s prime. During which, he arranged recordings such as, “My Girl,” “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” and “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” among many others. We’ll hear samples of those recordings and take your audience questions in Willis Show Bar’s beautifully intimate setting. It’s an honor to have Paul as a guest in this space, and we hope you’ll join us to hear about his incredible musical journey within and outside of Motown.
Tickets for this event are $100 and will directly benefit WDET and Willis Show Bar.
To listen to previous episodes of the podcast, click here.
P lease note that Willis Show Bar is a 21+ venue

WDET Travel: Alpine Lakes & Scenic Trains Preview
2024-01-29 19:00 - 20:00 | MI
The WDET Travel tour heads to Switzerland and Italy for an incredible 11-day experience Oct. 3-13, 2024.

Cruise through Lago Maggiore and visit one of the beautiful Borromean Islands.
Stroll the lakeside boulevards of St. Moritz.
Journey through the Bernina Pass on one of the world’s most scenic railways.

Learn more at our virtual meeting on Monday, Jan. 29, starting at 7 p.m. ET.
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The Moth StorySLAM — Love Hurts
2024-02-01 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show! Tonight’s theme is…
This month’s theme is “love hurts.” Prepare a five-minute story about a love that made you go “OUCH.” The agony of deferred love, the misery of good love gone bad or the anguish of one-way love. Bring stories of your heart, kicked to the curb by the people or places or things you love… or used to love. Love that “hurts so good” is also welcome.
Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.
Show Starts: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Detroit’s StorySLAMs go on sale 3 weeks prior to the show date at 3 p.m. ET.
Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marble Bar is 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

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Smart Politics: An Election Discussion Hosted By WDET News Director Jerome Vaughn
2024-02-19 19:00 - 20:30 | HopCat Detroit, 4265 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI, 48201, United States
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Join WDET News Director Jerome Vaughn and a panel of Michigan journalists for the first installment of Smart Politics, hosted at HopCat Detroit on President’s Day – Monday, February 19! We will discuss Michigan’s effects on the 2024 presidential election and take audience questions with our panelists:

Clara Hendrickson, Reporter, Detroit Free Press
Craig Mauger, State Politics Reporter, The Detroit News
Colin Jackson, Reporter, Michigan Public Radio Network

Food & drinks will be available for purchase, and we highly encourage enjoying dinner during our programming! To view the HopCat Detroit dinner menu, click here.
Seating will be on a first come first serve basis. If you have a group of 5 or larger and you’d like to request a table together, please contact Nicole Amine: nicole.amine@wdet.org.
The views and opinions of each panelist are their own and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of WDET or Wayne State University.
We ask that you please respect our panelists, host, and the other attendees. Anyone displaying disruptive or disrespectful behavior may be asked to leave.
If you plan to purchase or consume alcohol, please bring a valid government issued ID.
HopCat is wheelchair accessible.

Ann Delisi's Essential Cooking: Basan
2024-03-06 17:30 - 22:00 | Basan, 2703 Park Ave, Detroit, MI, 48201, United States
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Join us for the next installment of Ann Delisi’s Essential Cooking at Basan for two seatings on March 6: 5:30PM and 8:00PM. Chef Eric Lees will showcase his style with a five course meal with a special wine pairing for guests to enjoy.
Basan opened in 2022 and is the latest endeavor of Detroit Hospitality Group Four Man Ladder (Grey Ghost, Second Best). Tucked neatly into the ground floor of the historic Eddystone and a mere stone’s throw from Little Caesar’s Arena, Basan is a marriage of distinctive food and inimitable beverage with a lifestyle of hospitality.
The name is derived from a mythological fire breathing rooster, an allusion to fare cooked over the fiery breath of the robata grill in the heart of their kitchen. The Basan staff has graciously opened their doors to WDET listeners and we couldn’t be more excited!
Due to the nature of this event, there will be no menu substitutions. If you have a severe food allergy, please contact Basan directly.
Seats will be assigned to maximize space due to limited availability. If you’d like to be seated with a separate ticket buyer, please contact Nicole Amine: nicole.amine@wdet.org.
There are two seatings for this event: 5:30PM and 8:00PM. Please select the ticket that corresponds to your desired seating when checking out.
Tickets are $200 and directly support WDET and Basan.
Basan is wheelchair accessible.
Basan’s main entrance faces Little Caesars Arena on Sproat Street, immediately west of Park Ave. Prepaid parking is available for $10 at 2756 Cass Ave. using this link.
Street parking is available on the surrounding streets or on Park Avenue using the spaces provided. Please plan for increased street traffic on game or concert nights.
In addition to street parking, more parking options are available at ParkWhiz.

The Moth StorySLAM — Dazzled
2024-03-07 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show!
This month’s theme is “dazzled.” Prepare a five-minute story about a time you sparkled. Dripping in diamonds down the red carpet, smooth cruising in a Corvette or cosplaying at Marilyn Monroe. Share your shiniest knock-out memories that no one believes, or the moments that prove that all that glitters is gold.
Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.
Show Starts: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Detroit’s StorySLAMs go on sale 3 weeks prior to the show date at 3 p.m. ET.
Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marble Bar is 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

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WDET Spring Fundraiser 2024
2024-03-14 14:00 - 2024-03-24 15:00 | MI
Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET presents the 2024 Spring Fundraiser March 15-24!
WDET is celebrating 75 years of people-powered radio in metro Detroit. Become a member and invest in WDET’s next chapter of news, music and conversation.
Listeners who donate during the 2024 Spring Fundraiser have a chance to be entered in drawings for a chance to win unique prizes and experiences, including:

WDET Golden Ticket valid for select events at the Majestic Complex in Detroit over the next year
Passes to Movement 2024
Vinyl records bundle handpicked by Modern Music host Jon Moshier courtesy of Found Sound in Ferndale, Mich.
Pair of tickets to three select concerts at Pine Knob
Premier Pet Supply gift cards and more

Donate now »
Thank you to our sponsors!

Shades of Ireland WDET Trip
2024-04-08 - 2024-04-20 | MI
Ready to travel? Book your space now for the April 2024 Shades of Ireland tour featuring Northern Ireland! The thirteen-day excursion includes round-trip airfare and deluxe accommodations.
In Dublin, you can visit Saint Patrick’s Cathedral or tour the Guinness Storehouse. The trip features lively pubs, green landscapes and such iconic sights as the Cliffs of Moher and the magnificent Giant’s Causeway as we make our way to Belfast to experience the Titanic Museum. Look at the itinerary for Shades of Ireland featuring Northern Ireland at wdet.org/ireland!

Book Your Trip

WDET Presents: Paula Poundstone at the Flagstar Strand Theatre
2024-04-13 20:00 - 22:00 | Flagstar Strand Theatre, 12 N Saginaw St., Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
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Iconic comedian Paula Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and a spontaneous wit that has become the stuff of legend. She regularly plays theaters across the country, hosts a weekly comedy podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, and is a regular panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me.
Paula has starred in several HBO specials, including Cats, Cops and Stuff, which nabbed a cable ACE award for Best Comedy Special. She was the first female comic to host the White House Correspondents Dinner. She filed live coverage of the 1992 Democratic and Republican National Conventions and the Presidential Inaugural for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and at the 93rd Emmy Awards. Paula has starred in two television series, both entitled The Paula Poundstone Show. Paula’s second book, The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness, was one of eight semi-finalists for the Thurber Prize For American Humor; the audiobook was one of five finalists for the AUDIE award for Audiobook of the Year. Paula has released five albums and is featured in several documentaries and compendiums noting influential comedians of our time.
Join us at the Flagstar Strand Theatre on Saturday, April 13th for an unforgettable night of laughter and wit.
