The Moth StorySLAM -- Grown
2022-10-06 18:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
GROWN: Prepare a five-minute story about the highs and lows of adulting, or the trials and tribulations of getting there. Old enough to know better or wishing someone else would grow the heck up. Growing pains, rites of passage and the great onslaught of responsibility. You know what they say: age is just a number.
We will not be selling any tickets at the door.
Media Sponsor: WDET

First Friday Watch Party: Focus on Freighters
2022-10-07 13:30 - 14:00 | MI
Those freighters along Great Lakes ports and the skylines are part of the region’s history, economy and mythology.
Join WDET’s own Nick Austin (Soul Saturday, Detroit Today) and Great Lakes Now’s Sandra Svoboda to learn more about the best places to see the ships, how to track them and where museums around the region are showcasing Great Lakes shipping history, including the storied Edmund Fitzgerald.
Ask questions (and get answers) about the boats, the shipping industry, freighter routes and more.
Guests:

Michelle Briggs, chief park ranger at the Soo Locks, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Scott Bjorklund, park ranger at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in Duluth, Minnesota.

Photo credit: Sandra Svoboda/Great Lakes Now.

Detroit school board virtual candidate forum
2022-10-13 17:30 - 19:30 | MI
RSVP

Two former board presidents, a few former educators, four incumbents, parents and a recent graduate are among the 18 candidates running for four open seats on the Detroit school board in what could be a consequential election for the city school district.
​​The seven-member board oversees and sets policy for the Detroit Public Schools Community District, which educates nearly 49,000 students. With more than half of the four-year seats open for the Nov. 8 general election, new board members could impact Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s plan to address pandemic-related enrollment losses, chronic absenteeism and poor academic achievement.
Chalkbeat Detroit and WDET are hosting a virtual school board candidate forum Thursday, Oct. 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Join us as we hear from the 18 candidates vying to lead Detroit public schools. The forum will be held over Zoom and split into two panels with a short intermission. A schedule will be announced closer to the event.
This event is free to attend, but you must RSVP to receive the Zoom information. You can also let us know what questions you have for the candidates when you sign up.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization committed to covering one of the nation’s most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education.
WDET has provided an independent voice for the Detroit region for nearly 70 years. As a community service of Wayne State University, we use the power of our broadcast and digital channels to inspire and educate listeners at home and away.

Ann Delisi's Essential Cooking: SheWolf Pastificio & Bar
2022-10-17 18:30 - 21:30 | SheWolf Pastificio & Bar, 438 Selden St., Detroit, MI, 48201, United States
Get tickets

Join Ann Delisi on October 17th for a very special Essential Cooking event at SheWolf Pastificio & Bar! We will be featuring a five-course dinner with a wine pairing by Chef Anthony Lombardo right here in Midtown.
This is a benefit for WDET and begins at 6:30PM on Monday, October 17, 2022. Doors will not be open prior to event time. Purchase your tickets right here.
About SheWolf Pastificio & Bar
Tickets are general admission and seating will be random. Please note that the majority of SheWolf’s seating are high-tops. If you have a specific seating request, or would like to sit with a separate ticket holder, please contact Nicole Amine (nicole.amine@wdet.org). Price of ticket includes wine pairing and gratuity.
Ann Delisi’s Essential Cooking is supported by La Marca Prosecco

The Moth StorySLAM — Leftovers
2022-11-03 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
LEFTOVERS: Prepare a five-minute story of what remained. Feelings, dinners or lingering guests; the time there was too much or not quite enough; or the moment you couldn’t quite end things clearly. Cold pizza for breakfast, the last appetizer on the plate, family heirlooms, seeds of resentment.
We will not be selling any tickets at the door.
Media Sponsor: WDET.

WDET Dearborn Women of Color Engagement Event
2022-11-15 11:00 - 12:30 | Qahwah House, 6655 Schaefer Rd, Dearborn, MI, 48126, United States
WDET is hosting an engagement event at Qahwah House in Dearborn with Women of Color in Dearborn. We invite you and a friend to chat with WDET reporters Sascha Raiyn, Nargis Rahman, and Tia Graham, WDET Culture Shift Producer/Host.
November 15 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Qahwah House in Dearborn, 6655 Schaefer Rd, Dearborn, MI 48126.

The Moth StorySLAM — Anniversary
2022-12-01 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
ANNIVERSARY: Prepare a five-minute story about milestones. Enduring love or loss. The fondness of nostalgia and the lessons of growth. Seconds, minutes, hours or when time stood still. Paper or silver — extra points if you make it to platinum. Rejoice or reflect the past while plotting the course ahead. Cheers to many more years!
We will not be selling any tickets at the door.
Media Sponsor: WDET

Celebrate Noel Night at WDET
2022-12-03 17:00 - 22:00 | WDET, 4600 Cass Ave, Detroit, 48201, United States
Visit WDET’s studio this Saturday for Noel Night, 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 a cup of hot chocolate and cookies
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.
Join us for Noel Night, this Saturday from 5-10 p.m.
From Detroit’s NPR Station, 101.9 WDET.

The Moth GrandSLAM Championship
2022-12-14 19:00 - 22:00 | The Senate Theatre, 6424 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI, 48210, United States
The Moth presents the Detroit GrandSLAM, a battle of wits and words — fierce, hilarious, heartbreaking and all points between.
The Moth is dedicated to finding people from all walks of life to tell inspired stories. At The Moth StorySLAM, those people find us. On this night, winners from our StorySLAM series compete to determine The Detroit GrandSLAM Story Champion.
Doors open at 7 p.m., stories begin at 8 p.m.
Media Sponsor: WDET

WDET One Small Step Virtual Listening Party
2022-12-21 12:00 - 13:00 | MI
RSVP for Free

Join Detroit’s NPR Station, 101.9 WDET, and StoryCorps for our One Small Step virtual listening party!
WDET brought hundreds of Metro Detroiters with different political views together to have civil conversations. We want to share what we found with you. You’ll hear from a few of the Detroit One Small Step participants.

You also get an exclusive preview of WDET’s One Small Step holiday special, airing Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

From StoryCorps and Detroit’s NPR Station, 101.9 WDET!

Stream Video

The Moth StorySLAM — Vices
2023-01-05 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
VICES: Prepare a five-minute story about a wicked habit, a mild failing or a defect in your otherwise perfect self. Tell us what acts as kryptonite on your character! The ball and chain of developed habits and poisonous predilections. Give a special shout out to the backfiring virtues… when being too good is actually bad.
We will not be selling any tickets at the door.
Media Sponsor: WDET

The Moth StorySLAM — Love Hurts
2023-02-02 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
LOVE HURTS: Prepare a five-minute tale about a love that made you go OUCH. The agony of deferred love, the misery of good-love-gone-bad, 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.
We will not be selling any tickets at the door.
Media Sponsor: WDET

Virtual Artist Salon: Summer Like The Season and KESSWA
2023-02-07 18:00 - 19:30 | MI
We invite you to join us in this virtual gathering space for discovery, dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
This unique series focuses on the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, featuring artists KESSWA and Summer Like The Season. A presentation about their practices will be followed by a Q&A based conversation moderated by Bridge Detroit’s Orlando P. Bailey.
This program is a collaboration between Kresge Arts in Detroit and WDET and is part of Kresge Arts in Detroit’s mission to advance and showcase the work of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, provide space for growth and discovery, and further the connection between Kresge artists and the wider arts community.
[accessibility note: ASL interpretation will be provided during this event]

KESSWA is an interdisciplinary artist from Detroit. As a vocalist, producer, and filmmaker, her work integrates performance, video, and music to function as a resource for emotional healing. Her recent work with Shigeto, “Is My Mind A Machine Gun?,” premiered on MOCAD’s new media platform Daily Rush and as a performance art piece at the DLECTRICITY festival (2021). KESSWA toured Germany as Detroit-Berlin Connection and Musicboard Berlin’s premier artist-in-residence. She has performed in support of avant-garde artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Sudan Archives, the Sun Ra Arkestra, and Rashaad Newsome.
Summer Krinsky is a Detroit-based composer, multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, and creative coder. Her sound is stylized by the use of mixing and production as a compositional foundation. Krinsky plays drums, bass, piano, guitar, and sings, releasing music under the artist name Summer Like The Season. Exploring themes of this cyborg era, her work traces the edge between live instrumentation and contemporary electronics, examining the intermediary role technology plays in modern identity. Additionally, she experiments with programming novel audio controllers and designing interactive installations. She is a 2020 Gilda Award recipient and Science Gallery Detroit resident artist. Krinsky’s highly personal approach to creativity speaks with a unique and inventive voice.

Virtual Artist Salon: Queen Gabby and Deidre D.S.SENSE Smith
2023-02-21 18:00 - 19:30 | MI
We invite you to join us in this virtual gathering space for discovery, dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
This unique series focuses on the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, featuring artists Queen Gabby and Deidre D.S.SENSE Smith. A presentation about their practices will be followed by a Q&A based conversation moderated by Bridge Detroit’s Orlando P. Bailey.
This program is a collaboration between Kresge Arts in Detroit and WDET and is part of Kresge Arts in Detroit’s mission to advance and showcase the work of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, provide space for growth and discovery, and further the connection between Kresge artists and the wider arts community.
[accessibility note: ASL interpretation will be provided during this event]

Queen Gabby is the Queen of Detroit Jit. In her journey to push the development of Jit culture, Queen Gabby has performed in the opera Blue with the Detroit Opera and with Slippage at the Detroit Institute of Arts; showcased Jit in Paris, France; taught at universities across the country, including Wayne State University and the University of Michigan; choreographed for the Detroit Pistons; and has been featured on platforms such as Red Bull and Forbes Magazine. Queen Gabby’s mission is to shine a light on this city’s hidden gem and educate future generations about Detroit Jit.
Deidre D.S.SENSE Smith is a Detroit native who has always shown great pride in her city. Raised on the eastside, she was surrounded by culture and art. Although Smith has seen the struggles, despair, and chaos that has afflicted the city’s once flourishing neighborhoods, she reflects the hope and beauty she sees in her hometown through her artistry. Smith has performed on various stages in support of equal rights, education, art, and in protest of the many socio-economic woes plaguing our world.

WDET Travel France Webinar
2023-02-21 18:30 - 19:30 | MI
Detroit’s NPR Station 101.9 WDET is offering listeners another amazing travel opportunity! Join us on a trip to France and explore some of the most beautiful scenery the country has to offer, including Versailles Palace & Gardens, dinner at the Eiffel Tower and more.
Learn more during a travel preview of the upcoming France Magnifique tour via Zoom Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m.

WDET Hamtramck Women of Color Engagement Event
2023-02-28 11:00 - 13:00 | The Social House, 3002 Carpenter Ave, Hamtramck, MI, 48212, United States
WDET is hosting an engagement event at The Social Loft in Hamtramck on February 28th! We invite you and a friend to chat with WDET reporters Sascha Raiyn, Nargis Rahman and Tia Graham, WDET CultureShift producer/host.
11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at The Social Loft, 3002 Carpenter Ave, Hamtramck, MI, 48212
To reserve your spot, please visit us on Eventbrite.

Virtual Artist Salon: Allan Colding and Nova Zaii
2023-02-28 18:00 - 19:30 | MI
We invite you to join us in this virtual gathering space for discovery, dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
This unique series focuses on the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, featuring artists Allan Colding and Nova Zaii. A presentation about their practices will be followed by a Q&A based conversation moderated by Bridge Detroit’s Orlando P. Bailey.
This program is a collaboration between Kresge Arts in Detroit and WDET and is part of Kresge Arts in Detroit’s mission to advance and showcase the work of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, provide space for growth and discovery, and further the connection between Kresge artists and the wider arts community.
[accessibility note: ASL interpretation will be provided during this event]

Ali Allan Colding is a seasoned professional jazz musician with national and international experiences, living and practicing in Detroit. He has performed at most of Detroit’s major music venues and has played with world class musicians and singers such as James “Blood” Ulmer, John Dana, Ron English, Ken Cox, Marcus Belgrave, Leon Henderson, Charles Moore, Ed Pickens, Sam Sanders, Harold and Ray McKinney, Wendell Harrison, Dorothy Ashby, Gloria Lynn, Kim Weston, Fred Anderson, Noah Howard, Faruq Z. Bey, Hakim Jami, and more. Colding received his musical education from drummers Rudy Tucich, Sr., Doug Hammond, Roy Brooks, J.C. Herd, Jimmy Allen, Ron Johnson, Danny Spencer, and George Davidson, as well as through conversations with Elvin Jones and private lessons with Robert Pangborn Sr., percussionists with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Jack Luddingham at the Teal School of Music.
Nova Zaii is an electronic producer, drummer, and experience designer hailing from Chicago. While completing two degrees—in performing arts technology and jazz studies—at the University of Michigan, he invented a touchless instrument called the Nova Portals. He has patented and performed with the Portals around the country, including for TEDx Chicago. In 2016, he co-founded the electronic-jazz group, the JuJu Exchange, which released its debut album “Exchange” in 2017; the album reached the number one jazz album streaming position on Apple Music. He has worked with Kesswa, Vic Mensa, Prefuse 73, Derrick Hodge, Jamila Woods, Robert Hurst, Kaleigh Wilder, Marcus Elliot, Tank and the Bangas, as well as other visionary artists.

The Moth StorySLAM — Stakes
2023-03-02 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
STAKES: Prepare a five-minute story about when it was make-or-break, all-or-nothing. When you dug in your heels or rose to the occasion. Packed it up, moved on or made your claim. Proceed at your own risk…
We will not be selling any tickets at the door.
Media Sponsor: WDET

Virtual Artist Salon: Detroit Bureau of Sound and Tammy Lakkis
2023-03-03 18:00 - 19:30 | MI
We invite you to join us in this virtual gathering space for discovery, dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
This unique series focuses on the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, featuring artists Detroit Bureau of Sound and Tammy Lakkis. A presentation about their practices will be followed by a Q&A based conversation moderated by WDET’s Chris Campbell.
This program is a collaboration between Kresge Arts in Detroit and WDET and is part of Kresge Arts in Detroit’s mission to advance and showcase the work of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, provide space for growth and discovery, and further the connection between Kresge artists and the wider arts community.
[accessibility note: ASL interpretation will be provided during this event]

Zac Bru is a cactus soloist, composer, and avid promoter of the future of music. He is best known by the name Detroit Bureau of Sound and has gained a reputation for mixing a variety of styles—including classical, Baroque, 20th century experimentalism, noise, and techno—into his compositions. Producing large-scale musical events has been a pivotal part of his work for the past decade; Bru has appeared in venues of all types including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan Science Center, Red Bull Arts in Detroit, and the The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum (East Lansing, MI).
Tammy Lakkis is a songwriter, singer, producer, poet, and DJ based in Hamtramck with a focus on genre-defying and transnational electronic music. Lakkis—who grew up in Windsor and Dearborn Heights—made a name for herself performing playful, all-hardware live sets, singing bilingually in English and Arabic. Her debut EP, “Notice” (2021), gained international traction and accolades. She is a resident DJ at Motor City Wine and Temple Bar. Lakkis is currently working on a full length album.

Virtual Artist Salon: Natasha Beste and Leith Campbell
2023-03-10 18:00 - 19:30 | MI
We invite you to join us in this virtual gathering space for discovery, dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
This unique series focuses on the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, featuring artists Natasha Beste and Leith Campbell. A presentation about their practices will be followed by a Q&A based conversation moderated by WDET’s Chris Campbell.
This program is a collaboration between Kresge Arts in Detroit and WDET and is part of Kresge Arts in Detroit’s mission to advance and showcase the work of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, provide space for growth and discovery, and further the connection between Kresge artists and the wider arts community.
[accessibility note: ASL interpretation will be provided during this event]

Natasha Beste is a video director, installation artist, animator, performer, and educator whose work has been showcased at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, Media City Film Festival, MOCAD, and the University of Michigan Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design. Since 2006, Beste has taught media arts at Wayne State University, Marygrove College, Y-Arts at the Boll Family YMCA, and Ladybug Studios. Since 2010, she’s been co-director of Gold House Media and has been commissioned by Kresge Arts in Detroit and Cranbrook Art Museum. She currently teaches at the College for Creative Studies and Living Arts (Detroit).
Leith Campbell works at the intersection of technology and creativity, attempting to find new, more organic methods of expressing meaning and emotion through the use of technological means as well as using machines to interrogate humanity’s relationship to technology. From tech-mediated avant-garde composition to electro-mechanical sculpture, there are few mediums under the rubric of technology she has not intersected with in her practice. Originally an instrumentalist with an improvisational focus, she has reinvented and renewed her practice many times. Since 2017, Campbell has been exploring notions of space, perception, phenomenology, and identity, as well as developing new pedagogies synergizing technology and art. She grew up in Port Huron, and now lives in Midtown Detroit, and is the non-birth parent to two beautiful children.

Virtual Artist Salon: Razi Jafri and Jhayla Mosley
2023-03-24 18:00 - 19:30 | MI
We invite you to join us in this virtual gathering space for discovery, dialogue and the exchange of ideas.

This unique series focuses on the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, featuring artists Razi Jafri and Jhayla Mosley. A presentation about their practices will be followed by a Q&A based conversation moderated by WDET’s Chris Campbell.
This program is a collaboration between Kresge Arts in Detroit and WDET and is part of Kresge Arts in Detroit’s mission to advance and showcase the work of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, provide space for growth and discovery, and further the connection between Kresge artists and the wider arts community.
[accessibility note: ASL interpretation will be provided during this event]

Razi Jafri is a visual artist, documentarian, and social activist based in Hamtramck. His work focuses on ethnicity, religion, immigration, democracy, and the changing cultural landscape in America. As a Muslim immigrant, his own community is of particular interest to him as it vies for a voice in the American cultural, economic, and political arenas amidst a climate of Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment. Jafri’s documentary films include, “Hamtramck, USA,” which made its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival (2020), “Ashura in Detroit,” which premiered at the Freep Film Festival (2021), and “Loyalty,” a 2022 Independent Television Service grantee currently in post-production. Razi holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering and an MFA from the University of Michigan.

Jhayla Mosley is an emerging narrative and commercial director in the Detroit area, has a passion for using her voice to move mountains within her community through the art of storytelling. Born in Nebraska, her family relocated to the city of Detroit, where she fell in love with cinematic arts. Mosley’s goals include directing creative narrative films that feel nostalgic and reflective of the Black experience, as well as directing more commercials for minority-owned businesses, aiming to make commercial filmmaking a more inclusive environment not only for local filmmakers, but also local businesses.

The Moth StorySLAM — Clean
2023-04-06 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
CLEAN: Prepare a five-minute story about spotlessness. Leaving your vices behind, purity through virtue or coming out unscathed. Germaphobes or slobs. Colossal messes or confessions. The tidy and the untainted. Mr. Clean in the house!
We will not be selling any tickets at the door.
Media Sponsor: WDET

Virtual Artist Salon: Demario Dotson and Queen Gabby
2023-04-07 12:00 - 13:30 | MI
We invite you to join us in this virtual gathering space for discovery, dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
This unique series focuses on the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, featuring artists Demario Dotson and Queen Gabby. A presentation about their practices will be followed by a Q&A based conversation moderated by WDET’s Chris Campbell.
This program is a collaboration between Kresge Arts in Detroit and WDET and is part of Kresge Arts in Detroit’s mission to advance and showcase the work of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, provide space for growth and discovery, and further the connection between Kresge artists and the wider arts community.
[accessibility note: ASL interpretation will be provided during this event]

Demario Dotson is a native of Atlanta and a graduate of Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he was the recipient of the 2020 Robert C. Larson Award. Dotson’s recent residencies and exhibitions include Queer.Archive.Work (Providence, RI) and Bread & Circus Gallery (Fort Wayne, IN). He is a part of the Mighty Real/Queer Detroit exhibition and will be featured in I Said What I Said at MOCADA Brooklyn. Dotson was commissioned to be a part of the Ann Arbor District Library’s BLM Mural Project and was highlighted by Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts as an emerging Black artist to watch. He also contributed animation for Tiff Massey’s Get Big 1.0 as a part of the 2021 DLECTRICITY festival. Dotson will make his Detroit solo debut at What Pipeline in 2022.
Queen Gabby is the Queen of Detroit Jit. In her journey to push the development of Jit culture, Queen Gabby has performed in the opera Blue with the Detroit Opera and with Slippage at the Detroit Institute of Arts; showcased Jit in Paris, France; taught at universities across the country, including Wayne State University and the University of Michigan; choreographed for the Detroit Pistons; and has been featured on platforms such as Red Bull and Forbes Magazine. Queen Gabby’s mission is to shine a light on this city’s hidden gem and educate future generations about Detroit Jit.

Virtual Artist Salon: DAAY and Joel Greene
2023-04-21 12:00 - 13:30 | MI
We invite you to join us in this virtual gathering space for discovery, dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
This unique series focuses on the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, featuring artists DAAY and Joel Greene. A presentation about their practices will be followed by a Q&A based conversation moderated by WDET’s Chris Campbell.
This program is a collaboration between Kresge Arts in Detroit and WDET and is part of Kresge Arts in Detroit’s mission to advance and showcase the work of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, provide space for growth and discovery, and further the connection between Kresge artists and the wider arts community.
[accessibility note: ASL interpretation will be provided during this event]

DAAY was raised on Detroit’s eastside and began playing piano at the age of four. At 17, DAAY moved to England to pursue her bachelor’s degree in popular music at Falmouth University. While in school, she participated in a study abroad program at ArteZ in the Netherlands, during which she studied jazz voice and pursued an internship at a local studio. At university, DAAY began her practice in music production and sound art. In 2018, she moved back to Detroit and released her first EP, “October,” as a singer-songwriter. In 2021, DAAY debuted her first sound art installation.
Joel Fluent Greene is a poet, author, event curator, educator, and Spirit Of Detroit Award recipient. He was host at Detroit’s iconic Café Mahogany poetry nights and has shared the stage with The Roots, Common, The Last Poets, Ledisi, Big Sean, Wyclef Jean, and more. Greene has served as the creative writing instructor at Mariner’s Inn, a shelter and treatment center in Detroit, for six years and has held poetry workshops in over 60 schools in the metro Detroit area. He is a resident artist with Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts and the author of four poetry books. His latest, “The Detroit Poems,” was released in 2021, with a follow up, revised and edited, “Definitive Version,” released in 2022.

Virtual Artist Salon: Carl George and Anetria Cole
2023-04-27 12:00 - 13:30 | MI
We invite you to join us in this virtual gathering space for discovery, dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
This unique series focuses on the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, featuring artists Carl George and Anetria Cole. A presentation about their practices will be followed by a Q&A based conversation moderated by WDET’s Chris Campbell.
This program is a collaboration between Kresge Arts in Detroit and WDET and is part of Kresge Arts in Detroit’s mission to advance and showcase the work of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Awardees, provide space for growth and discovery, and further the connection between Kresge artists and the wider arts community.
[accessibility note: ASL interpretation will be provided during this event]

Carl George is an artist and activist working in experimental film, painting, and collage. His short experimental films have been shown in festivals internationally and are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Guggenheim Museum, and the New York Public Library. George’s short film, “The Lost 40 Days” (1986), has been digitized with the assistance of the National Film Preservation Foundation and is now in the permanent collections of the National Film Archive at the Library of Congress and Anthology Film Archives in New York.
Anetria Cole is a playwright born in Pontiac. While attending Oakland University, the writings of great American playwrights Lorraine Hansberry (“A Raisin in the Sun”) and August Wilson (“Fences”) deepened her passion for writing, at which point she vowed to continue to tell stories of the African American Diaspora by means of theater. Cole has won multiple playwriting awards, including the WDIV Channel 4 Film Challenge Detroit People’s Choice Award in 2017 for her screenplay, “Street Numbers,” based on the African American numbers racket in Black Bottom Detroit.

WDET Essential Cooking with Chef James Rigato and Ann Delisi
2023-04-30 11:00 - 14:00 | Sprout House, 15233 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Park, MI, 48230, United States
Join WDET’s Ann Delisi and Chef James Rigato for a private shopping experience at Sprout House Natural Market in Grosse Pointe Park!
Owner and Executive Chef of Mabel Gray restaurant, James Rigato is bringing his wildly popular vegan dishes to an open house at Sprout House kitchen for a private shopping experience on Sunday, April 30 between 11AM and 2PM. Chef James’s special creations will be available for purchase* along with long-time Sprout House favorites. Your ticket includes a welcome mock-tail and a sample of Sprout House signature spicy noodles. Guests will have the opportunity to shop the Sprout House organic and natural foods selection and meet Ann and Chef James during this open house event. A portion of the proceeds of the event sales benefit WDET.
Follow Sprout House on Instagram: @sprouthousemarket or visit their website: www.sprouthousenaturalmarket.com
*While supplies last.

The Moth StorySLAM — Gossip
2023-05-04 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
GOSSIP: Delicious or malicious, chatty or bratty. Blatantly false or modestly exaggerated. Prepare a five-minute story about a rumor that raised eyebrows, dropped jaws, lowered the boom, rattled your cage or earned you a nasty (or fabulous) rep. In the office, the aisles of church or temple, in the family or in the streets. Tell us stories of the unfounded, the un-fact checked and the fabulously fabricated. Did you hear?
As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Media Sponsor: WDET

Ann Delisi's Essential Cooking: Freya
2023-05-21 16:00 - 21:00 | Freya, 2929 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Essential Cooking returns to Freya on Sunday, May 21!
Join Ann Delisi and Chef Phoebe Zimmerman for a 5-course dinner with a wine pairing, sourcing locally from Motor City Seafood, Great Lakes Wine and Spirits and DelBene produce. In addition to great food, beverages and friends, you will be able to see local art on display at the restaurant featuring the work of nonbinary artists Quinn Faylor, Aire and Jozie Bullard. A limited-edition print will also be given away at each seating.
Freya is one of Detroit’s most celebrated restaurants and was the only Michigan restaurant named on the New York Times 50 Favorite List of Restaurants of 2022, as well as the Detroit Free Press Best New Restaurants list that same year. Co-owner, Sandy Levine, is one of 20 national semi-finalists for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Restaurateur category, and Chef Phoebe Zimmerman has been lauded for their culinary creations putting this Detroit gem on the national map.
There will be two seatings for this event: 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Please select which seating you’d like to attend when purchasing tickets.
***If you’d like to be seated with a separate ticket holder, please email nicole.amine@wdet.org.***

*SOLD OUT* WDET Comedy Showcase: What's So Funny About Detroit?
2023-05-25 18:30 - 21:30 | Old Miami, 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit, MI, United States
SOLD OUT
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, May 25 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 Detroit stand-up comics Diego Attanasio, Nick Tenaglia, Danielle Bentzley, Gad Holland, Andrew Yang and Melanie Hearn.
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.
***MEET THE COMEDIANS***
Diego Attanasio
Diego Attanasio is a Detroit based comedian originally from Peru who quickly wins over crowds with his quick wit, likability, and sarcastic observations. His rapid-fire delivery and onstage charisma make Diego one of the most notable acts in the midwest. Diego has performed stand-up in Alaska, Hawaii, and everywhere in between. He was a semi-finalist in the San Diego Comedy Fest and a finalist in the Laugh Your Bluegrass Off Comedy Fest. Additionally, Diego performed at over 15 comedy festivals including the Cleveland Comedy Fest, Memphis Comedy Fest, and Idaho Laugh Fest. Diego has featured for Tig Notaro, Todd Barry, Robert Kelly, Chris Porter, Christopher Titus, Nick Griffin, Matt Braunger, Jessica Kirson, and Joe List.
Nick Tenaglia
Nicholas Tenaglia’s bio is written from the perspective of his three brothers. Rocco (eldest) says: “Nick was once robbed at gunpoint, losing his beloved Chevy Equinox and (somehow) all of his clothes. His other car got exploded. Please pay to see him say funny things. He needs a win!” Tony (younger) says: “When Nick isn’t doing comedy, he’s probably out betting on the ponies. We’d hate to see the guy go belly up, but it seems to be inevitable if he doesn’t catch his breaks with the jokes soon… or at least hit the quadfecta on Captain Luck, Screwy Two Boy, Lady Winter & Jerry the rascal.” Vinnie (youngest) says: “Nick has really big heart.. Nick’s funny that’s cool too right?”
Danielle Bentzley
Danielle Bentzley has been performing stand up comedy since 2021. Quickly gaining traction in Michigan’s comedy scene with a dry delivery and hard-hitting punchlines, Danielle has worked for The Independent Comedy Club, The Detroit House of Comedy, and Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle. When Danielle first heard that she could perform stand up in a castle, she thought of her fear of water and the possibility of having to cross a moat. Driven by her love for stand up comedy, Danielle faced the moat. She was relieved to find that it was thin and made of concrete. Danielle is a producer for 313 Comedy- a weekly comedy show featuring local and touring comics at the Detroit Shipping Company. She has opened for NYC’s Liz Miele and Matteo Lane as well as Michigan’s own, Zach Martina. Come laugh with Dani about the ridiculousness that she encounters as she navigates sobriety in her mid-twenties.
Gad Holland
Gad Holland is one of the funniest comedians in Detroit. You’re gunna love him!
Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang is a comedian from Ann Arbor, Michigan who runs shows at a punk rock venue in the Blind Pig and is a producer of the Tree Town Comedy Festival. Onstage, Andrew charms audiences with his energetic personality and engrossing stories mostly at his own expense. He has been fortunate enough to work with a few of his comedy heroes including Beth Stelling, Jackie Kashian, and Joe Mande. Andrew has performed at the Motor City Comedy Festival, Traverse City Comedy Festival, in clubs all over the Midwest, and hopefully soon for you too!
Melanie Hearn
Melanie is a fast rising talent on the Metro Detroit comedy scene, is a native of The “D” and has always enjoyed entertaining people. As a graduate of Bill Bushart’s comedy class at the world famous Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle earlier this year, Melanie has hit the ground running. She has been sweeping the scene as Winner of the “Jumpstart your Comedy Career Contest” at Joey’s Comedy Shop, recent winner of The “Big Money Contest” at Laff Tracks Comedy Club and Finalist in the Woodward Comedy Competition. Such opportunities have afforded her the opportunity to emcee across the state and open for nationally known comedian Mike Bonner. In just a few short months Melanie has made her presence known around town for her versatile mix of realism and sass she’s just as nice as she is naughty. Melanie delivers a fun high energy show that really gets the crowd involved in her act. A local favorite across the Metro Detroit area, Melanie continues to hone her skills at open mics across the state. Melanie can be seen performing at comedy clubs, bars, corporate events across the Midwest.
What’s So Funny About Detroit? is supported by The Finnish Long Drink.

The Moth StorySLAM — Pride
2023-06-01 18:30 - 21:30 | Marble Bar, 1501 Holden Street, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
Listen to true stories or share your own at our open-mic storytelling competition!
This month’s theme is “pride.” Prepare a five-minute story about embracing your identity. Coming out and inspiring others to do the same. Found family, fluidity, looking beyond the binary. Naysayers, fighting the good fight for yourself and for others, marches, protests, parades, trying on labels, all the colors on the spectrum. Tens across the board!
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.
