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The Metro: Legendary Comic George Wallace on tour in Detroit

George Wallace’s observational humor, and masterful storytelling have earned him a place among comedy’s most iconic figures. 

As a comic, writer and actor he has been casted in “Seinfeld,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Mr. Deeds” and so many more staple TV shows and films. Wallace is perhaps best known for his iconic “I Be Thinkin’ routines and his signature “Yo Mama” jokes. He currently stars alongside Laverne Cox in the comedy series, “Clean Slate.”

In 2004, Wallace headlined his own show at The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. It was initially only greenlit for 30 days, but the show became so popular it ran for over a decade. That’s how he earned the nickname “The New Mr. Vegas.”

Wallace joined the The Metro to discuss all the things he appreciates most in his life.

He will take his impeccable timing and authentic insights to the Fisher Theatre stage Saturday October 25th.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support local journalism.

WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

More stories from The Metro

The post The Metro: Legendary Comic George Wallace on tour in Detroit appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

The Metro Events Guide: Eight artist showcases around Detroit this week

Whether it’s strolling through indoor galleries or historic cemeteries, there are a lot of places to explore arts and culture in Detroit. From maker markets to music festivals, here are eight things to check out this week.

Plus, a fun way to support Detroit public radio this Halloween. Read on to learn more.

Upcoming events

Sam Tallent at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle

📍  Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak

🗓  Thursday, Oct. 16 through Saturday, Oct. 18

🎟  $31

A comedy show featuring “What’s So Funny About Detroit?” alum Sam Tallent. His jokes have appeared on Comedy Central, TruTV and VICELAND, and he’s performed in venues around the world. Comedian Alaina Bamfield will open the show and Genevieve Clinton is the emcee. This event is 18+.

Elmwood Alight

📍  Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit

🗓  Friday, Oct. 17 and Saturday, Oct. 18

🎟  $40

A reflective tour through Detroit’s 179-year-old Elmwood Cemetery, highlighting its historic architecture, monuments and green space. There will be lighting displays, music and autumnal sights. Gates open at 7 p.m. and the last entry is at 9:30 p.m.

Reimagine African American Art

📍  Detroit Institute of Arts

🗓  Opens Saturday, Oct. 18

🎟  Free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties

For the first time since 2007, the DIA is reinstalling its African American galleries, now directly adjacent to Rivera Court. The reinstallation features a variety of media by African American and Black artists, including drawings, prints, photography, paintings and sculpture spanning the 1800s to today. There are four galleries, each exploring a key historical movement — the Harlem Renaissance, Social Realism, the Civil Rights era and the Black Arts Movement.

Michigan Makers Market

📍  The Hawk in Farmington Hills

🗓  Saturday, Oct. 18

🎟  Free

An indoor juried arts and crafts fair featuring ceramics, decor, illustrations, jewelry, paintings, printmaking and more made by Michigan artists. There will also be live music, and beer and wine will be available to purchase for guests 21+. The market will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bugbee by Sam Friedman and Josh Sperling

📍  Library Street Collective

🗓  On view Saturday, Oct. 18 through Jan. 14

🎟  Free

A two-person exhibition with painter Sam Friedman and mixed-media artist Josh Sperling featuring new individual works as well as collaborative pieces created jointly by the pair. Color serves as a unifying force in the exhibition, transforming flat supports into immersive experiences through spatial and emotional resonance. The gallery is open to the public Thursdays through Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m.

Detroit Bourbon Fest

📍  Detroit Historical Museum

🗓  Saturday, Oct. 18

🎟  $50–$300 ($10 for designated drivers)

An indoor bourbon festival that features over 100 whiskeys and bourbons, as well as classic cocktails, store picks and a high-end bottle section. There will also be food vendors, live music and merchandise. There are two tasting sessions, one from 1–3:30 p.m. and another from 4–6:30 p.m. This event is 21+.

Show Me What You Got Music Festival

📍  Candela in Southwest Detroit

🗓  Saturday, Oct. 18

🎟  $25

A 2000s-themed music festival featuring Afro Future International DJ Jeanine Styles and DJ MoBetta. There will be live performances from over a dozen Detroit singers and hip-hop artists, and food and a cash bar will be available. Doors open at 9 p.m. This event is 21+.

CONTAINER Tour: Stop Two

📍  Irwin House Gallery in Detroit

🗓  Thursday, Oct. 23

🎟  Free

A showcase of Detroit talent featuring live music from R&B songstress Bevlove and art installations from photographer Elonte Davis, mixed media artist Donald Calloway and painter Ijania Cortez. The event goes from 6–9 p.m.

Get to know CONTAINER’s resident artists with WDET’s new podcast, CONTAINER on The Metro

What’s next

Halloween Monster Bash for WDET

📍  Kuhnhenn Brewing Company in Clinton Township

🗓  Saturday, Oct. 25

🎟  $20

A Halloween benefit for WDET hosted by Modern Music host Jon Moshier and organized by friends of the station. There will be a costume contest, classic horror films and live rock n roll performances by The 3-D Invisibles, The Amino Acids and the F-Hole Wreckers. Doors open at 6 p.m., music starts at 7 p.m. and the costume contest is at 8:30 p.m. This event is 21+.

Support local journalism.

WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

The post The Metro Events Guide: Eight artist showcases around Detroit this week appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

The Metro: Crowd plays key role in comedian Sam Tallent’s sets

Sam Tallent is an entertainer who has spent two decades on the stage as a musician and comedian. Sam, like many comics, has told jokes that didn’t land with the crowd, so he pivoted in real time. He turned those moments into lessons that refined his craft.

It’s a relentless grind that he illustrates best through the perspective of a fictional comedian in his recent novel “Running the Light.”

He joined the show ahead of his run of stand-up shows October 16-18 at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak to discuss his process, his inspirations, and his new book. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support local journalism.

WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

More stories from The Metro

The post The Metro: Crowd plays key role in comedian Sam Tallent’s sets appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

The Metro Events Guide: Eight places to see Detroit talent this week

Detroit is overflowing with talent, and this week’s lineup of events proves it. From bands to comedians, from visual artists to storytellers, you’ll get to soak it all in at these eight showcases.

Plus, a cultural convening with an exclusive discount for WDET listeners. Read on to learn more.

Upcoming events

CONTAINER Tour Kickoff

📍  Cadillac Square Park in Detroit

🗓  Friday, Oct. 3

🎟  Free

A showcase of Detroit talent featuring live music from La Cecille, a DJ set from Darryl DeAngelo Terrell, and fashion activations from Ali Evans, Nabeela Najjar and Taylor Childs. The event goes from 5–9 p.m. and admission is free.

Get to know CONTAINER’s resident artists with WDET’s new podcast, CONTAINER on The Metro

Comedy at the Congregation Second Anniversary Show

📍  The Congregation Detroit

🗓  Friday, Oct. 3

🎟  $18–$20

A comedy night celebrating two years of the Comedy at the Congregation series, hosted by Sarah Lynn. This month’s comedians are Drew Harmon, Alana Gonzalez, Rio Riojas and Tim Reaburn. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 online or $20 at the door.

Troupe Vertigo with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra

📍  DSO Orchestra Hall

🗓  Friday, Oct. 3 through Sunday, Oct. 5

🎟  $20–$119

An acrobatics performance backed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, featuring selections from Star Wars, Star Trek, Disney’s Up and more. Tickets start at $20 and there will be four performances throughout the weekend.

Freak Fest 3

📍  Downtown Ypsilanti, various locations

🗓  Friday, Oct. 3 through Sunday, Oct. 5

🎟  $0–$15

A celebration of all things freaky, featuring three days of live music, local vendors and Halloween vibes across multiple Ypsilanti venues. Most of the festival is free and open to the public, but events at Ziggy’s have a $15 cover.

15th Annual Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival

📍  Hamtramck, various locations

🗓  Saturday, Oct. 4

🎟  Free

A community-organized festival highlighting Hamtramck’s creative community. Participating artists host audiences in unconventional spaces like their home studios, front porches, parks and coffee shops. Admission is generally free and open to the public, but donations are welcome to keep the festival going.

Seen/Scene: Artwork from the Jennifer Gilbert Collection

📍  The Shepherd in Detroit

🗓  Sunday, Oct. 5 through Saturday, Jan. 10

🎟  Free

An exhibition featuring the work of 36 contemporary artists from Jennifer Gilbert’s private collection. The exhibition is curated by Cranbrook Art Museum Chief Curator Laura Mott and seminal artist Nick Cave, and it explores themes related to how we see each other. An opening celebration will take place on Sunday, Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Shepherd, featuring artist talks, a film screening, interactive workshops and retail pop-ups.

Detroit Story Fest

📍  The Detroit Opera House

🗓  Thursday, Oct. 9

🎟  $25–$35

A curated night of performance art and storytelling by Detroit artists, reporters and community members. This year’s theme is “No Small Wind Is Blowing,” highlighting stories about immigration, transition and the invisible forces that inspire movement. Stories begin at 8 p.m., and WDET’s Waajeed (host of The Boulevard) will keep the party going with a DJ set after the show.

Learn more about Detroit Story Fest 2025 here

TéMaTé Institute’s 2025 Convening for Dance & Culture

📍  The Andy Art Center and Detroit School of Arts Ford Theatre

🗓  Saturday, Oct. 18 through Sunday, Oct. 19

🎟  $95–$120 ($45 with WDET discount code)

An annual two-day convening that celebrates African diasporic traditions and their enduring impact on culture and community through dance workshops, community classes, a signature concert and a vendor marketplace. This year’s theme is “Ritual: Rhythms of Life & Legacy,” drawing on ancestral wisdom, movement and storytelling to illuminate the importance of preserving traditions while creating space for innovation. WDET listeners can get discounted tickets using code WD3T25 before Thursday, Oct. 9.

Support local journalism.

WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

The post The Metro Events Guide: Eight places to see Detroit talent this week appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

The Metro: Lansing native Nicole Melnyk to headline ‘What’s So Funny About Detroit’

Nicole Melnyk is a comedian known for her energy and sharp wit. The Lansing native has performed at WDET’s What’s So Funny About Detroit event in the past, and now she’s headlining on August 28.

She joined Tia Graham to talk about what inspired her comedy, why she reps Lansing so hard, and her love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

You can buy tickets for next week’s Old Miami performance at this link.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

Support local journalism.

WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

More stories from The Metro

The post The Metro: Lansing native Nicole Melnyk to headline ‘What’s So Funny About Detroit’ appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

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