Where Did All the Stages Go?

By Anison "The Impaler" Roberts | June 11, 2026

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As a musician who's spent decades bouncing around Detroit's rock scene, I've watched it change in ways both good and bad.

The good changes are easy to see. Musicians have more tools than ever. Recording music is cheaper. Promoting a band no longer requires printing thousands of flyers and plastering telephone poles from Hamtramck to Downriver. A song can reach the entire world with a few clicks.

But one of the worst changes has been the slow disappearance of places where new bands can learn their craft in front of a live audience.

Back in the 1990s, I was playing in a brand-new band and looking for any opportunity to get on a stage. I called Lili's 21—what many people now know as the Painted Lady—and spoke with Art, the booking agent.

His first question was simple:

"How many people do you think you can bring in?"

My answer was even simpler.

"I have no idea."

Today, that answer would probably end the conversation.

Instead, Art gave us a shot. He put us on a bill opening for a band that already had a following. The thinking was simple: if the new band was any good, people would talk. Word would spread. We'd earn fans the old-fashioned way—one show at a time.

That's how local music scenes are built.

Years later, I found myself on the other side of that equation. Sue Summers of Static Records suggested that a young local band called Choking Susan open one of my shows. They were still building their audience, still finding their footing. Once again, it was the same philosophy: give a new band a chance to be seen.

Not every group becomes a headliner. Not every band survives more than a year. But every great Detroit act started somewhere, and that "somewhere" was usually a club willing to take a chance.

Those opportunities are harder to find today.

Thankfully, there are still venues carrying the torch. Places like the Hazel Perk, Trixie's in Hamtramck, the Fireside Inn, and Donovan's Pub continue to give local musicians a stage. They deserve credit for that. The challenge is that many smaller venues no longer have the built-in crowds that clubs once had. New bands often end up playing to a room full of friends and family instead of being exposed to a larger audience that came to discover something new.

That's where we come in.

If we want a healthy Detroit music scene, we have to support the places that support local artists. We can't complain that there aren't enough new bands while ignoring the clubs giving those bands a chance.

Go see a local show.

Take a chance on a band you've never heard of.

You might discover your next favorite group for the price of a fast-food meal.

And let's be honest: a $10 cover charge and a $4 drink still beats paying $75 for an electronic ticket that may or may not scan at the door—and then dropping another $10 on a beer once you get inside.

Detroit's music scene has always been built from the ground up. Not by algorithms. Not by ticketing companies. By musicians, club owners, and audiences willing to show up.

The next great Detroit band is out there right now.

They just need a stage.

— Anison “The Impaler” Roberts

“Your Friendly Neighborhood Impaler”