Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is this upcoming Monday, and our local museums are making sure you have every opportunity to honor the civil rights leader.

Plus, the Detroit Auto Show is open to the public starting Saturday, and there are some sweet opportunities to get outside with family and friends.

Upcoming events (Jan. 15–22)

Candyland at Beacon Park

  Beacon Park

  Thursday, Jan. 15-20

  Free

Though we’re out of the holiday season, there’s still time to go see a spectacular light display in Beacon Park that draws you into the magic of Candyland! Bring friends and family to enjoy some time outside and take advantage of the picture-perfect scenery. This is the last week the display is up.

Detroit Auto Show

  Huntington Place

  Saturday, Jan. 17 through Sunday, Jan. 25

  $25 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for kids ages 3-12

See the future of the auto industry for yourself in this hands-on, immersive auto show! Cruise through a winding indoor track in an EV driven by an industry professional, see how vehicles connect us with the outdoors in the Michigan Overland Adventure display, and learn about the auto industry as a whole. 

Discover Rouge Park: January Meet Up

  Rouge Park

  Sunday, Jan. 18

  Free

Meet at the Sorenson Recreation Area at noon for a guided walk on the Rouge Park’s Ma’inngan Wildwood Trail. Learn about the park, get some exercise and fresh air, and appreciate the beauty of the outdoors in winter. If there’s heavy snow, snow shoes will be provided to help navigate the trails, granted you register in advance. This event is free and for all ages, but dress appropriately for the two hour walk.

MLK Day, Monday Jan. 19

A Dream Rooted in Faith: The Legacy of the Black Church in Detroit During the Civil Rights Movement

  Detroit Historical Museum

  Monday, Jan. 19

  Free

Enjoy historical presentations and crafts that reflect Rev. Martin Luther King Jr,’s values of faith, justice and community from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event closes with a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday”. 

“We Who Believe in Freedom”

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

  Monday, Jan. 19

  Free

Come to the Wright Museum for a full day of  free activities from 1o a.m. to 6 p.m. Attend a bike ride led by Tour de Troit, historical reenactments, storytelling, film screening, and discussions. A paid experience with Prayer Breakfast and Keynote speakers is available with the purchase of a ticket for $33.85+. RSVP in advance. 

MLK at the DIA

  Detroit Institute of Arts

  Monday, Jan. 19

  Free with admission

The museum will be open during its regular hours with a few different ways to honor MLK’s legacy. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be Collage Portraits workshop inspired by artists displayed in the museum’s African American Galleries. At 2 p.m. in the Rivera Gallery, there will be a civil rights song sing-along featuring poetry from the InsideOut Literary Arts program, followed by a march to the Wright Museum.

A Hamtramck-based artist residency program has received a $175,000 innovation award for three years.

Entry Points is a program that offers housing and studio space for returning citizens who were formerly incarcerated juvenile lifers. The program began through the work of Hamtramck Free School, an alternative educational organization that facilitates creative writing and art workshops in Michigan prisons, working with juveniles who were sentenced to life without parole. 

Entry Points Artistic Director Jonathan Rajewski and Director of Transitions, Kyle Daniel-Bey, are working together to help returning citizens reintegrate into public life, including presenting their work publicly.

Rajewski says art is a way for people to express themselves. 

“We work within the prison system are artists and, you know, art has and continues to be an important conduit of self-expression. It’s a rejection of censorship. It’s an articulation of resistance. It’s an acknowledgement of, you know, the social structures that dictate our livelihoods,” he explains. 

Second chances

Daniel-Bey was a juvenile lifer after being incarcerated at 17. He was released from prison due to the Miller v. Alabama 2012 ruling by the U.S. Supreme court.

The ruling says, “No juvenile defendant may face a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, no matter how serious the crime,” according to Justia. 

Daniel-Bey says he got a second chance.

“When the Miller ruling came out in 2012, it was finally a door opening because I was never supposed to come home. And art was a way to sustain myself in prison, not only financially, but spiritually and emotionally,” Daniel-Bey shares.

Daniel-Bey says he met Jonathan in 2013 at the Macomb Correctional Facility through a creative writing workshop. He says they became friends.

“I came home in 2018. Since then, we’ve continued our creative exploits through what was created,” he says. 

Supporting returning artists

Entry Points gives people an entry point back into society and a chance to make art. The first resident moved in October 2022, when a former juvenile lifer needed a place to live once he was released.

Rajewski says the artists can use the space for studio visits, visits from curators, and exhibition opportunities. 

“Our first resident was a writer and almost strictly in the literary realm. And so those relationships tend to be focused more in the literary realm,” he shares.

Daniel-Bey says former juvenile lifers often come home often without resources, family, or support. 

“As an adult that goes to prison and spends 20 years and comes back out, they at least have an experiential understanding of having to have paid a bill or navigating as an adult, get a job and all those types of things. We had none of that. And so what we do is we are helping to cushion that landing,” he explains. 

Paying it forward

The grant allows at least three artists to use the space over the period of three years, allowing additional staff to be hired. Meanwhile, the program is run by volunteers.

The award is given by the JM Kaplan Fund to 10 awardees for their work in tackling social justice, environmental conservation, and heritage preservation.

Rajewski says he’s grateful for this opportunity to give back.

“This amplifies the work that we’re doing… in the free school, we are largely made up of volunteers. There are no paid employees. There really aren’t any specific kinds of leadership. It’s a sort of shared kind of democratically organized discursive project,” he exclaims. 

Daniel-Bey says that besides supporting the resident artists, the funding will support other artists.

“We also do microgrants to other artists. We have other juvenile lifers that have home support and family support, but they may not be have the material support to get their art supplies,” he explains.

Healing power

Daniel-Bey says art is a universal language that can heal people.

“Their art is trying to speak to the soul and the spirit of people and bring them into community, bring them into unity and into a more humanistic understanding of what drives not only the children that do these things, but the society that produced them,” he says.

Rajewski says the funding supports the work they’ve been doing for years.

“When I met Kyle, he was never coming home, and now here we are working outside on this project together. And it is just an endlessly powerful experience to support this work together,” he says.

Andre “Dre” Dukes is a living example of what happens when you get a second chance in life. Dre grew up in Detroit on the eastside and watched once thriving neighborhoods collapse. 

Dre lived a rough life, growing up in Detroit riddled with gun violence and drugs. He battled addiction and spent a decade in prison. Since his release, he has changed the way he approaches life. He works at recovery centers, and with at-risk kids and teens.

He has been motivated to make an impact to ensure the next generation of young Black boys have a blueprint to follow and learn a better way to escape their issues. 

“Street-Wise & Real Talk” is an autobiographical guide for boys who simply need to feel seen and heard. It’s a fictional, age-appropriate book for at-risk youth that focuses on consequences and not glorifying crime.

Dre spoke with The Metro’s Tia Graham about “Street-Wise & Real Talk.”

The Michigan Historical Museum is showcasing black velvet paintings and their ties to Latino History in a new exhibit. “Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic” includes more than 100 black velvet paintings from the private collections of co-curators Elena Herrada and Diana Rivera, collector Minerva Martinez and from the community. 

“[This is] probably the only kind of art exhibit ever where people brought their own and added them to the collection,” says Herrada. “Like people were walking in with their velvet paintings and some of them donated them and some of them loaned them and some of them took them with them when they left.”

Herrada says there have been several small exhibits of black velvet paintings in Lansing and Detroit over the last few years but this is the largest. She says black velvet paintings were popular art pieces in Chicano homes but people were not given the space to celebrate the art elsewhere.

“Many times people’s aesthetics or tastes are really put down or looked down upon. That’s one of the reasons we don’t have close ties to museums because people don’t feel at home in places where there is high art.” 

Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic is on view at the Michigan Historical Museum until late November. The museum plans to host several events related to black velvet painting in the coming months. This Saturday, Jan. 17 admission is free and visitors can make crafts inspired by the collection.

The museum is in Lansing at 702 W Kalamazoo Street. Admission is $8 for adults and less for seniors and children; $2 for adults and free for kids with EBT cards.

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026

Sheffield restructures city services

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced the creation of the Department of Human, Homeless, and Family Services Monday, led by its new director Benita Miller. Miller previously served as the executive director of the New York City Children’s Cabinet, and has three decades of experience in family and child welfare. 

The restructuring of city services also creates the role of Chief of Health Human Services and Poverty Solutions. The University of Michigan’s Luke Shaefer will fill that position and also oversee the Detroit Health Department, and the Office of Immigrant Affairs and Economic Inclusion. Shaefer was the founder and director of the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions research initiative and co-founded the program Rx Kids. 

Sheffield says the reorganization of these services will make the process of reaching out to community services less fragmented and confusing for residents. 

Applications open for Queer Equity Impact Program

The Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for the next cohort of its Queer Equity Impact Program. The 12-week business accelerator program starts in February and offers participants with business plan development, peer support, training and other guidance.

Applications are due Jan. 30. Learn more at detroitlgbtchamber.com.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café, we’re joined by our first guests of the new year, Folk Bitch Trio. Grace Sinclair, Jeanie Pilkington, and Heide Peverelle met in high school (during the pandemic), instantly creating the 3-piece harmony on display throughout their debut album “Now Would Be A Good Time.”

Also this week, the return of the SongWriter Podcast, and in-studio archives from Cautious Clay, Lianne La Havas, the late Raul Malo and more.

See the playlist below and listen to the episodes on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Acoustic Café Playlist for January 11, 2026

• “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
• “Prizefighter” – Mumford & Sons
• “To Each Their Dot” – Haley Heynderickx & Max Garcia Conover
• “Touching God” – Daniel Caesar
• “Love You Right” – HAIM
• “Wildfire” – Cautious Clay (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “These Days – Muireann Bradley
• “God’s A Different Sword” – Folk Bitch Trio (in-studio guests)
• “Mary Plays The Harp” – Folk Bitch Trio (in-studio guests)
• “Wish You Were Here (Take 1)” – Pink Floyd
• “Running Boy” – Mon Rovia
• “Green Papaya” – Lianne La havas (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Keep It Moving” – Thao Nguyen (SongWriter Podcast)
• “Kindness Be Conceived” – Thao & The Get Down Stay Down (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “You Always Win” – Raul Malo (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Zombie (acoustic)” – YUNGBLUD
• “Plush (acoustic)” – Stone Temple Pilots
• “Skeletree” – Madison Cunningham
• “Long Distance Winner” – Cunningham Bird (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Satisfied Mind” – Mavis Staples
• “Sarah” – Folk Bitch Trio (in-studio guests)
• “Cathode Ray” – Folk Bitch Trio (in-studio guests)

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music looking ahead to new releases coming in the first few months of 2026, including Robyn’s first new album in 7 years, upcoming albums from Iron & Wine and Lucinda Williams, and brand new music this week from Mon Rovia, Father John Misty, Madison McFerrin and Common.

Also tunes from Ledisi with Gregory Porter, Prince, Joe Jackson and more.

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for January 10, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “Field Song” – Mon Rovia
• “The Old Law” – Father John Misty
• “Talk To Me” – Robyn
• “Dangerous Blues” – Luke Winslow-King
• “Everybody Knows” – The Legal Matters
  
• “Sweet Love” – Stephen Sanchez
  
• “This Time For Real” – Chet Faker
  
• “Hair Down” – Samm Henshaw
  
• “Welcome To Burning-By-Sea” – Joe Jackson
• “Memphis” – Joe Jackson
• “Ready To Let You Down” – Joseph
  
• “I Still Need Love 2” – The Twilite Tone (w/Madison McFerrin, Common)
  

• “Sister Golden Hair” – The Dandy Warhols
• “In Your Ocean” – Iron & Wine
• “Hoodoo Woman” – Tinsley
  
• “They Keep Trying To Find You” – Bonnie Prince Billy
• “Plastic Cigarette” – Zach Bryan
  
• “Take Me To Graceland” – Jack Spivey
  
• “Boy In The Bubble” – Paul Simon
• “Peace Of Mind” – Wesley Joseph ft. Danny Brown
• “drivers license” – David Byrne
  
• “The 6th Of January (Yasgur’s Farm)” – Amy Grant
• “The World’s Gone Wrong” – Lucinda Williams ft. Brittney Spencer
• “Dead Man Walking” – The Infamous Stringdusters

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

Happy New Year! As holiday festivities wind down, there’s still plenty to do in metro Detroit. Here are 5 ways to spend this weekend, from wintery walks to heated rivalries.

Upcoming events (Jan. 8–15)

Winter Trivia at CHALET 313

  Campus Martius in Detroit

  Thursday, Jan. 8

  Free

An indoor trivia night on the second floor of CHALET 313 in Campus Martius Park. Guests can warm up with hot cocoa while answering trivia questions for a chance to win fun prizes. Winter Trivia takes place every Thursday from 6–8 p.m. starting this week and going through Feb. 19. No registration is required.

Lantern-Lit Snowshoe Hike

  Mitchell State Park in Cadillac

  Friday, Jan. 9

  Free

A self-guided hike through Mitchell State Park’s Heritage Nature Trail, illuminated by over 100 lanterns. After the hike, participants can warm up with hot chocolate by the bonfire. Snowshoes are available to borrow on a first-come first-served basis, but hiking boots are usually sufficient for this one-mile trail. The path is open every Friday night through January and February.

“Father Mother Sister Brother” Screening

  Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts

  Friday, Jan. 9 through Sunday, Jan. 11

  $9.50–$11.50

An award-winning film starring Adam Driver and Cate Blanchett. “Father Mother Sister Brother” is a delicate portrait of family dynamics, following three stories united by their focus on relationships between adult children and their aging or lost parents. Screenings take place on Friday at 7 p.m., on Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Detroit Roller Derby Home Teams Double Header

  Masonic Temple in Detroit

  Saturday, Jan. 10

  $0–$22.19

A high-energy roller derby double header featuring all Detroit-based teams. First, D Funk will face off against the Detroit Pistoffs at 5 p.m., then the Grand Prix Madonnas will take on the Devils Night Dames at 7 p.m. All ages are welcome, and refreshments are available for purchase. Doors open at 4 p.m.

Total Eclipse of the Chart: ’80s Chart Toppers

  Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall

  Saturday, Jan. 10 through Sunday, Jan. 11

  $20.95 and up

A live performance by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra featuring some of the biggest hits of the 1980s, including songs by Whitney Houston, Madonna, Journey, Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper, Eurythmics, The Police, Cher, Tina Turner and more. Performances start at 8 p.m. on Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Limited tickets remain.

The music landscape has changed a lot since the turn of the 21st century. Not just styles, but how we consume music. Nothing illustrates that better than the rise of the indie music scene.

In his new book Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion, Stereogum managing editor Chris DeVille looks at how changes to TV, the internet, and the record industry fueled the rise in early ’00s indie music.

DeVille talks with WDET’s Russ McNamara. Click on the link to listen or read selected excepts below. 

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

RM: So why write this book?

DeVille: There’s many different sort of through lines that are being traced here. One of them is technology. It’s a subject that I think is really complex and really fascinating, and it involves a lot of my favorite music ever.

This stuff that has been kind of chronicled and debated online for years in blog posts and social media posts and a lot of the documentation of it is starting to disappear, because websites just go offline, or people delete their social media accounts. And so I wanted to create a little bit more permanent record of some of these things that happened—some of the ways that these bands broke through, some of the conversations that were being had around this music.

One reviewer compared it to like a yearbook that you look back at and you get some fond memories, and you get some cringe, but yeah, it’s kind of like a history of my listening as an adult.

Russ McNamara, WDET: In the book, you mention the TV show ‘The OC’ which was a popular teen soap opera in the early ’00s. How much did that show’s soundtrack play into the rise in indie rock?

Chris DeVille, author of “Such Great Heights”: I was surprised as I was writing the book, how much it became like a shadow history of the evolution of the Internet over the last couple of decades. And you know The OC thing, it’s like they’re putting these bands in front of a much bigger audience. Like Death Cab for Cutie is like a fairly obscure band at the time, and then this character on this popular teen show is like making his whole personality that he loves Death Cab for Cutie.

It’s like giant platform, but then they lose cool points with some people, as you know, sort of a more norm-y audience discovers this band, but it’s definitely, there’s no doubt that it was a huge like funnel, bringing a bunch of bands to a much broader audience

RM: What about the added accessibility of file sharing sites like Limewire and Napster?

CD: Whatever platform you were using to pirate music I think contributed to the accessibility of stuff. Stuff could blow up, even if it didn’t fit into a particular radio format, or it wasn’t getting past the MTV gatekeepers. It didn’t have to fit into any existing niche or existing format to blow up. It could just catch fire and go viral on these file sharing servers.

I mean, the same thing was still true when iTunes came in and kind of formalized and commercialized the process. You could still have a song that people would download it like crazy.

RM: Which indie bands benefitted the most from this setup in the early 00’s?

CD: Arcade Fire was definitely the biggest. The other dimension that I talk a lot about in the book, is Pitchfork. And just like the power that Pitchfork had to make or break someone’s career. If they gave something a 10.0 people were just going to jump on it and worship it. And if they kind of talked smack about a particular band or completely panned a band, then there were instances where that basically ended someone’s commercial prospects. And so like Arcade Fire were like the perfect storm.

RM: So where is indie rock at now? Is it dead? Does the genre really mean anything anymore?

CD: Over time, indie became like more of a genre, and then the genre itself started to change. But I think what we saw happen in the 2010s is sort of like the indie goes pop thing. It was like a bubble, and it really did pop. We still have these sort of like boutique pop stars like Clairo.

We had artists that came out of the indie world become pop stars of a sort because of stuff like Tiktok. Like Mitski is a good example of that where she’s coming from, from the indie rock infrastructure, and she is making music that jumps across genres a little bit.

There’s a hunger for bands that have a little bit more of an edge to them, that are a little bit less smooth, a little bit willing to be weird or noisy. That’s what you see with a lot of the biggest indie bands today – ones that have gone against that sort of, like Spotify-friendly, passive-listening experience. There’s now a hunger for music that’s a bit more abrasive, something that will jolt people out of their stupor.

Music wants to evolve. It wants to find new audiences. And so the whole idea of like, gatekeeping and having the right audience versus the wrong audience, like, that’s something that factors into the book too.

For some of our listeners, arts and culture from kindergarten through high school were guaranteed and expected. Woodshop, cooking classes and, of course, art classes were a part of the curriculum. 

As the decades have gone by, less money to schools means less resources. Oftentimes the first things cut from the budget are the arts. But educators who work within the K-12 school system say the arts are essential to a well-rounded education.

Meghan Collins is Museum Educator for K-12 and Family Programs at the MSU Broad Art Museum. She is also an Assistant Professor of Art Education in MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design. 

In 2024, she was named the 2025 Museum Educator of the Year by the Michigan Art Education Association. 

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.

More stories from The Metro

The Trump administration recently announced $12 billion in bailout money in an effort to prop up the farming industry. That comes as farmers around the country have complained about trade wars and general economic conditions making it tough for them to do business.

What that money looks like by the time it makes its way to local farmers remains to be seen. Michigan Farmers Union president, Bob Thompson, says there are still questions surrounding the distribution.

“The Administration,” says Thompson, “still has to decide how much money is going to corn, versus wheat, versus soy beans, versus 15 different row crops.”

Thompson says about $11 billion of the $12 billion in the bailout will be dedicated to row crops. That means farmers growing specialty crops, like apples and cherries, will share the remaining funds.

Thompson warns the funding may not be enough to offset the challenges facing Michigan’s farms.

“The financial problems that a lot of farmers, particularly our smaller family farmers are experiencing, is a direct result of a lot of policies of the new administration,” Thompson explains, “ Particularly the tariff policies.”

He says the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has also hurt farmers in the state. About three-quarters of the seasonal workforce on farms comes from immigrant labor programs.

The Michigan Farmers Union says it may take a new long-term farm bill to stabilize the industry.

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café, we look back on our favorite in-studio moments, plus a few artists captured live at The Leon Loft in Ann Arbor! Featured this week: Souther Avenue (pictured), Mike Reid & Joe Henry, Lady Blackbird, Chris Thile, The War & Treaty and many more…

See the playlist below and listen to the episodes on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Acoustic Café Playlist for January 4, 2026

• “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
• “Show You Love” – The Altons (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Wait” – Paul Thorn (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Empire Of Love” – Amythyst Kiah (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Half As High” – The Devil Makes Three (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “The Bridge” – Mike Reid+Joe Henry (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Like A Woman” – Lady Blackbird (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Novelty” – Jensen McRae (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Muddy Shores” – Moonrisers (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Forever Never Lasts” – Rachael & Vilray (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Sweet Abbey Girl” – Katie Gavin (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Home” – The War & Treaty (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Wild And Clear And Blue” – I’m With Her (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “One Man Holds The World Hostage” – John Moreland (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Talkin’ Doc Blues” – Ketch Secor (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Old me, New Wig” – Molly Tuttle (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Rain Or Shine” – Drew & Ellie Holcomb (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Fatal Optimist” – Madi Diaz (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Upside” – Southern Avenue (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Gavotte en rondeau” – Chris Thile (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Rust” – Mon Rovia (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “People Of Substance” – Craig Finn (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Lesson” – Joy Clark (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Jeopardy” – Penny & Sparrow (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Crushed Ice & Gasoline” – Jeffrey Foucault (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Boom” – Sierra Hull (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Sleeves Up” – Crys Matthews (Acoustic Cafe performance)

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

Since we usually look at classic album anniversaries on the first Saturday of the month, this week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music we’ll do the same but look at the entire year!

In 2026, it’ll be the 50th anniversary for 2 classic Seger albums, a 30th for the late Aaliyah, a 20th for J Dilla’s “Donuts,” a 10th for The Raconteurs… plus debuts from The Ramones, Corrine Bailey Rae and many more.

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for January 3, 2026

HOUR ONE: CLASSIC ALBUM ANNIVERSARIES IN 2026

• “Rock And Roll Never Forgets” – Bob Seger ’76
• “Put Your Records On” – Corrine Bailey Rae ’06
• “Hold On I’m Coming” – Sam & Dave ’66
• “Wrap It Up” – The Fabulous Thinderbirds ’86
• “6th Avenue Heartache” – The Wallflowers ’96
  
• “Have A Talk With God” – Stevie Wonder ’76
• “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ In My Heart” – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles ’66
  
• “These Boots Are Made For Walking” – The Supremes ’66
  
• “Push It” – Salt N Pepa ’86
• “So Much To Say” – Dave Matthews Band ’96
• “Don’t Cry” – J Dilla ’06
  
• “Help Save The Youth Of America” – Billy Bragg ’86
  
• “SOS” – Rihanna ’06
  
• “Hasten Down The Wind” – Warren Zevon ’76
  

• “(I’m A) Road Runner” – Jr. Walker & The All Stars ’66
• “Roadrunner” – The Modern Lovers ’76
• “She Cries Your Name” – Beth Orton ’96
• “Tomorrow Never Knows” – The Beatles
• “Our Song” – Taylor Swift ’06
• “All I Want To Be (Is By Your Side)” – Peter Frampton ’76
  
• “Where Did Our Love Go” – J Geils Band ’76
• “Traveling Man/Beautiful Loser” – Bob Seger ’76
• “Hot Like Fire” – Aaliyah ’96
  
• “Tears Dry On Their Own” – Amy Winehouse ’06
• “A Simple Desultory Phillipic” – Simon & Garfunkel ’66
• “Blitzkrieg Bop” – The Ramones ’76
• “Guitar Town” – Steve Earle ’86
• “Love Hangover” – Diana Ross ’76

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café, Josh Ritter rounds our 2025 as our last guest of the year. Recorded at The Leon Loft in November, Josh plays songs from his new album “I Believe In You My Honeydew“.

Also, in-studio archives from Amos Lee, Shawn Colvin, Mike Doughty and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episodes on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Acoustic Café Playlist for December 21, 2025

• “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
• “This Christmas I’m Coming Home” – Leon Bridges & Norah Jones
• “Buffalo, 1981” – Haley Heynderickx & Max Garcia Conover
• “Clay Pigeons” – Muireann Bradley
• “All For You” – Rhett Miller
• “How To Love” – Buffalo Nichols (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “River” – The Accidentals
• “You Won’t Dig My Grave” – Josh Ritter (in-studio guest performance)
• “Truth Is A Dimension…” – Josh Ritter (in-studio guest performance)
• “Hard Times” – Mavis Staples
• “The Way It Will Be” – Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
• “Small Talk” – Whitney
• “Looks” – Mike Doughty (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Appalachian Adam’s Apple Smile” – Palmyra
• “Store Bought Christmas” – Old Crow Medicine Show
• “Rebel Soul” – Michael Kiwanuka
• “I’m Gone” – Shawn Colvin(Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” – Freedy Johnson
• “Who Knows” – Daniel Caesar
• “Hanukkah Gelt” – The Klezmatics
• “Bottom Of The Barrel” – Amos Lee (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Thunderbird” – Josh Ritter (in-studio guest performance)
• “Only A River” – Josh Ritter (in-studio guest performance)
• “Wild Ways” – Josh Ritter (in-studio guest performance)

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, as Hanukkah ends and Christmas week begins, naturally it’s time for the annual holiday music extravaganza!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for December 20, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “Santaland Diaries (excerpt 1)” – David Sedaris
• “Mi La Gozo” – Cheo Feliciano
• “Everybody Knows It’s Christmas” – Roland Gift
• “The Christmas Song” – Roberta Flack
• “Christmas Time Is Here” – Jill Jack
  
• “Santaland Diaries (excerpt 2)” – David Sedaris
• “I’ll Be Your Santa Baby” – Rufus Thomas
  
• “Happy Joyous Hanukkah” – The Klezmatics
  
• “Santaland Diaries (excerpt 3)” – David Sedaris
• “It’s Christmas” – Cory Henry
• “This Christmas I’m Coming Home” – Leon Bridges & Norah Jones
  
• “Mele Kalikimaka” – Jake Shimabukuro & Jimmy Buffet
  
• “At The Holiday Party” – St. Vincent
• “Happy Kwanza” – Teddy Pendergrass
  

• “Santaland Diaries (excerpt 4)” – David Sedaris
• “Someday At Christmas” – The Accidentals
• “No So Merry Christmas” – Michigander
• “No So Merry Christmas” – Raul Malo
• “Christmastime Is Here” – Spoon
• “8 Days” – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
  
• “Driving Home For Christmas” – Kathy Kosins
• “Santaland Diaries (excerpt 5)” – David Sedaris
• “Who Took The Merry Out of Christmas” – Staples Singers
  
• “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” – Ella Fitzgerald
• “Mistletoe And Holly” – aron!
• “Hanukkah Blessings” – Barenaked Ladies
• “Santaland Diaries (excerpt 6)” – David Sedaris
• “What Are You Doing New year’s Eve?” – Herb Alpert

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the artists, small businesses and unique experiences that our region has to offer. Here are 14 ways to spend the holiday season in metro Detroit, from ugly Christmas sweater parties to dazzling light displays.

Upcoming events (Dec. 18 through Jan. 8)

The Original Turtleneck & Sweater Holiday Extravaganza

  Fifth Avenue Royal Oak

  Saturday, Dec. 20

  $26

The 25th anniversary of the ugly Christmas sweater party that started it all — right here in Michigan. There will be live music, a fashion show, food and drinks, professional photography and more. Festivities go from 5–10 p.m. and all proceeds benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. This event is 21+.

Downtown Trenton Noel Nights: Day 3

  Trenton City Hall

  Saturday, Dec. 20

  Free

An afternoon of activities encouraging residents to explore downtown Trenton, including pony rides, photos with Santa, a holiday market, a live nativity scene, kids crafts and a hot cocoa bar. Festivities go from noon to 4 p.m.

Art for the Holidays

  Detroit Artists Market in Detroit

  Ongoing through Saturday, Dec. 20

  Free

A long-running art exhibition and sale featuring nearly 1,500 unique, handmade works from nearly 100 local artists. Pieces span from ceramics and textiles to paintings and jewelry, and every purchase directly supports Detroit artists. The market is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WDET’s (Not So) Modern Music Holiday Special

  Online and on your radio

  Saturday, Dec. 20 and Tuesday, Dec. 23

  Free

A radio special hosted by Jon Moshier (host of WDET’s Modern Music) and DJ Dave Lawson featuring a brand-new batch of rare and unusual holiday music. The special premieres on WDET on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 4 p.m., and an encore broadcast will air on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 10 p.m.

Detroit Public Theatre Holiday Cabaret

  Detroit Public Theatre

  Ongoing through Sunday, Dec. 21

  $25–$100

A festive performance crafted with wit and rowdy charm. An ongoing tradition, the Detroit Public Theatre’s Holiday Cabaret features talented vocalists and adult humor. General admission is $52, but rush tickets are often available for $25.

Eastern Market’s Holiday Market

  Eastern Market in Detroit

  Sunday, Dec. 21

  Free

A seasonal market featuring Michigan-made gifts, including clothing, art, jewelry, beauty products and more. Christmas tree vendors will also be in the parking lot outside Sheds 5 and 6. The market goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the final Holiday Market of the year.

Wayne County Lightfest

  Hines Park of Westland

  Ongoing through Wednesday, Dec. 24

  $5–$50 cash, depending on type of vehicle

A drive-through attraction featuring five miles of light displays down Hines Drive. Additional activities are available halfway through the route, including photo opportunities, food trucks and a mailbox for letters to Santa. Lightfest is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 6–10 p.m.

A Whole Lotta Love on WDET

  Online and on your radio

  Thursday, Dec. 25 through Friday, Jan. 2

  Free

A series of encore broadcasts from Ed Love’s legendary Evolution of Jazz program on WDET. The show is a master class in jazz history, featuring passionate, in-depth stories from Ed’s decades in the business. Episodes air on WDET weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Kwanzaa Celebration and Motor City Kinara Lighting

  Campus Martius Park in Detroit

  Friday, Dec. 26

  Free

A community Kwanzaa celebration hosted by Alkebu-lan Village, the City of Detroit, the Downtown Detroit Partnership and other community partners. Recognized as one of the largest Kwanzaa Kinara displays in the world, the 30-foot-tall monument is designed to stand alongside Detroit’s other major holiday displays, serving as a vibrant symbol of African American life, culture and community. Festivities go from 3–7 p.m. and the Kinara will be on display through the full week of Kwanzaa.

Winter at The Station

  Michigan Central Station in Detroit

  Ongoing through Sunday, Dec. 28

  $0–$15

A family-friendly celebration of the season featuring festive decor, interactive exhibits, holiday shopping, live music and more. Special programming will also take place throughout the month, including dance performances, artist workshops and more. General admission is free and open to the public, but some of the special programming is ticketed. Parking is $5 per vehicle. The Station is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but will be closed Dec. 24–25 and Dec. 31 through Jan. 1 for the holidays.

Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village

  Greenfield Village in Dearborn

  Ongoing through Sunday, Dec. 28

  $36–$44

An immersive historical experience featuring carols, roasted chestnuts, artisan crafts, ice skating and Model-T rides. Limited tickets remain.

Parlay Detroit’s New Year’s Eve Daytime Celebration

  Parlay Detroit

  Wednesday, Dec. 31

  Free

A spirited, kid-friendly afternoon centered around the Michigan Wolverines vs. Texas Longhorns game so families can celebrate New Year’s Eve without staying out late. There will be face painting, DJs and a game day atmosphere. Kids eat free from 2–5 p.m., and seating is first-come, first-served.

Parlay Detroit’s New Year’s Eve Nighttime Celebration

  Parlay Detroit

  Wednesday, Dec. 31

  Free

A vibrant New Year’s Eve night experience for adults and older guests, featuring multiple DJs, an energetic atmosphere and a full food menu available until 2:30 a.m. Festivities kick off at 9 p.m. and the party is first-come, first served.

Guests of Honor: Art of Faith from the Jewish Museum, New York

  Detroit Institute of Arts

  Ongoing through Jan. 3, 2027

  Free with general admission

A temporary exhibit at the DIA featuring a selection of Jewish ceremonial objects from the Jewish Museum in New York. The pieces date from the 1400s to the early 1900s, and include Torah finials, Hanukkah menorahs and more.

Detroit’s fine arts community is growing and producing more internationally known creatives. And with so much talent, artists and organizers continue to find creative ways to raise their visibility. 

DEROIT SALON is a new initiative produced by the woman-led organization Salonnière that puts Detroit artists in front of global audiences, curators and museums by touring exhibitions that carry their pieces.

The collective’s first show was in Paris at Art Basel, where they installed three different exhibitions. Each one highlighted a different area of life in Detroit.

Juana is the Artistic Director and Chief Curator for DETROIT SALON. KESSWA is a vocalist, producer and filmmaker who musically curated the exhibitions in Paris. 

Juana Williams and KESSWA joined Tia Graham in the studio to discuss DETROIT SALON’S efforts.

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As we draw closer to the Christmas season holiday cheer is right around the corner. What better way to bring in the Christmas vibes than a holiday concert extravaganza?

This Thursday, Holiday Detroit will put on a one night only showcase of music and dance featuring artists both near and far. Professional dancers, singers and musicians team up with students from Voyageur College Preparatory High School to put on this holiday performance. 

Lisa McCall is a renowned choreographer and a producer of the show. She joined the program with one of the showcases’ featured artist: The Temptations lead singer, Tony Grant.  

Tickets are available at holidaydetroit.com

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Arab American candidate Abbas Alawieh has announced that he’s running to become the next state senator in District 2. The newly drawn district includes Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and parts of Allen Park and Detroit. 

Alawieh says he is running to uplift people’s voices. 

“I want to become a state senator that wields the power of a movement of people that will come together around this campaign to say, hey, District 2 is here to play.  We’re going to show up with our values, with our leverage, with our people power.” 

Alawieh previously worked on Capitol Hill for U.S. Representatives Andy Levin and Rashida Tlaib. He also served as chief of staff to Congresswoman Cori Bush. 

Alawieh also co-founded the Uncommitted National Movement, which aimed to pressure then Presidential candidate Kamala Harris to address U.S. policy on the war in Gaza. 

Additional headlines from Monday, December 15, 2025

Inaugural Rising Voices Artist & Creatives Cohort

The Asian American civic engagement nonprofit Rising Voices has launched a new project. 

The Rising Voices Artist & Creatives Cohort will sponsor four emerging creatives next year. Each artist will receive $2500 and a mentorship to create pieces for a gallery exhibition in July. The theme will be “Revolution, Resistance & Joy.” 

The deadline to submit an application is Feb. 1. Winning artists will be announced in March, with work time between April and June. 

Dearborn bus safety

The City of Dearborn and the Dearborn Public Schools unveiled a new bus safety program today. The program detects and penalizes drivers who illegally pass school buses.

About 40 million drivers in the U.S. illegally pass bus stops annually, leading to 2,200 violations.

School buses in the city will be equipped with “BusPatrol” technology which uses stop-arm enforcement cameras to record violations and report them to the Dearborn Police Department.

The new features are part of an effort to increase traffic patrols and educate the public about how to keep children safe as they’re getting on and off school buses. 

Hospitals make a call on vaccines

Several Michigan hospital systems reportedly plan to disregard federal recommendations and continue giving infants the hepatitis B vaccine. 

A federal advisory panel said earlier this month that doctors should wait to vaccinate babies against hepatitis B unless their mother tested positive for the disease. 

Health experts warn that will lead to an increase in childhood liver disease. Evidence shows giving newborns the vaccine early is safe and has drastically reduced hepatitis B in kids. 

The Detroit Free Press reports that Corewell, Henry Ford, McLaren, Munson and the University of Michigan health systems will continue to give the vaccine to children within the first day after they are born. 

Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter and Pat Batcheller 

Warming centers

The City of Detroit has opened warming centers to help residents escape the bitter cold. City officials say residents can escape the frigid conditions during the day at Detroit’s recreation centers and public library branches. Overnight shelter is also available. 

Those in need should call the Detroit Housing Resource Help Line for assistance at 866-313-2520 or online at detroitmi.gov. 

People can also go to a Detroit police precinct. 

Weather forecasters say the potentially life-threatening sub-zero wind chills are expected to abate later this week. 

Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Somewhere between the psychedelic 1960s and the arrival of punk in the late 1970s, Detroit had a unique imprint on American music with an avant-garde, noise rock scene. Destroy All Monsters was an influential band and art collective at the time.

Their sound was radical, experimental, and noisy.

The band was formed in Ann Arbor in the early 1970s by Cary Loren, Mike Kelly, Jim Shaw and Niagra.

The group’s influence on art and music in Detroit is being recognized with a retrospective at Cranbrook Art Museum called “Mythic Chaos: 50 Years of Destroy All Monsters.” Also on display through March is a sister exhibition, “Noise, Vision, and Ruins” at the Detroit Public Library, Main Branch and curated by Cary Loren. 

Both exhibitions are open through March.

The Metro’s David Leins spoke Loren about the group’s origins, and what to expect from the exhibitions.

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