THANK YOU, DAN: Remembering The Old Miami owner Dan Overstreet

Anison "The Impaler" Roberts | May 21,2026

AI generated image, why else would the vampire in the pic be so handsome?

DETROIT— There are people who affect our lives in small ways that end up meaning more than we realize. Sometimes we give those people their flowers while they’re here. Sometimes we don’t fully understand what they meant to us until it’s too late.

Recently, Dan Overstreet, beloved owner of The Old Miami, passed away.

After his funeral, there was a celebration of life at the bar. Fortunately, my friend Scott Bowman noticed I wasn’t there yet and called to remind me. I made it over in time, and the place was packed.

That really wasn’t surprising.

There are countless local musicians in Detroit who owe something to the Old Miami. For many bands, it was the first club willing to give them a shot. Sitting in the Cass Corridor like a Detroit landmark, the Miami became a launching point not only for local acts, but also for unsigned touring bands smart enough to include Detroit on their route.

At Dan’s celebration of life, the place was full of musicians who had played that stage over the years. I saw old friends I hadn’t seen in ages. It was good to reconnect, even under sad circumstances.

Dan was also deeply supportive of veterans — something that mattered to a lot of people. Mrs. Impaler, an Army veteran who served during Desert Storm, always loved the place on the occasions she went there.

But when I think about Dan, I always come back to my first show at the Miami.

The crowd was small, and my band played like it. We had no energy whatsoever. After the show, I walked up to Dan and apologized, blaming the weak performance on the turnout.

Dan looked at me and said:

“Anison, until you can give the same performance for a crowd of 3 that you'd give for a crowd of 3,000, don’t ask me for another show.”

That stayed with me.

It’s one of those lessons that applies to a lot more than music.

I’m sure plenty of people have stories about Dan. Judging by the turnout that night, he clearly impacted a lot of lives. And maybe there’s truth to the idea that you can judge a man by how many people show up after he’s gone.

If that’s true, Dan Overstreet lived a life well lived.

Thank you, Dan.

— Anison “The Impaler” Roberts

“Your Friendly Neighborhood Impaler, see you after dark”