Queer Things to Do: Visit a New Queer Club in Detroit, Enjoy Taylor Swift or Adele By Candlelight
It was gonna be May. And then it was, and here we are. Switch things up this month with one or five brand new adventures, from hitting the dance floor at a new queer club, to listening to Taylor Swift played by a string quartet and snagging tickets for a queer-focused walking tour. Or, spend some time at home with LGBTQ+ film music lovers on Zoom.
1. Visit a New Queer Club in the Heart of Detroit
Looking for a fresh space to work it out on the dance floor? The Detroit LGBTQ+ nightlife scene is showing signs of renewed growth with Flaming Embers, a new endeavor on the first level of the Broderick Tower in Corktown. The queer-centered space, a new vision in the Detroit Sports Bar & Grille location on Woodward, is billed as an all-inclusive queer dance club that Robert Guzman told the Detroit News is a safe space “for women and marginalized communities first, and then everyone else can come later.” Stop by for a drink and a dance and help get this new queer space off to a strong start.
Flaming Embers, 1850 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 2. Experience Your Favorite Music By Candlelight
fever’s “Candlelight” tributes, featured in cities across the country, offer a, well, lit way to enjoy a special night out. Detroit Candlelight events are held at the iconic Masonic Crystal Ballroom downtown and feature the Kalkaska Quartet, a group of four local stringed instrument players, who play instrumental versions of songs made famous by artists like Adele, Taylor Swift, ABBA and Queen. The hour-long shows take place in a darkened theater setting lit only by hundreds of candles (don’t worry — the candles are battery operated).
Learn more and reserve tickets for upcoming performances at feverup.com/en/detroit/candlelight. Various dates and times. Detroit Masonic Temple in the Masonic Crystal Ballroom (500 Temple St., Detroit). 3. Catch the Documentary ‘America You Kill Me’
Learn about the late Michigan gay activist Jeff Montgomery’s often troubled, always fiercely honest life at a free showing of the documentary, “America You Kill Me,” winner of the 2022 Freep Film Festival Spirit of Detroit Award. Montgomery was spurred to political action when his boyfriend was murdered outside a bar in Detroit in 1985 and he realized the police weren’t going to investigate because it wasn’t worth their resources. He went on to found the Triangle Foundation, which later became Equality Michigan.
May 16 and May 30, 7 p.m., Ford House (1100 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores). Reserve your free ticket at bit.ly/44PLwZp. Presented in partnership with Ford House, WE GP, Between The Lines Michigan, MotorCity Pride, Ferndale Pride and Macomb County Pride. 4. Get Moving at a Detroit Pride History Walking Tour
Reserve your tickets now for the June 2 Detroit Pride History Walking Tour. The adventure includes a guided, two-hour tour of Detroit locales related to the city’s early LGBTQ+ communities. You’ll pass by the locations of historic bars and bathhouses, learn about the unique history of Detroit’s early Black LGBTQ+ community and what life was like before Palmer Park and Ferndale rose to queer prominence. You’ll also walk along part of the raucous 1972 Christopher Street march, Detroit’s first Pride event. Tour guide Michael Boettcher says in a news release about the tour, “We hope you’ll join us as we investigate where LGBTQ Detroiters first began connecting publicly, fighting the battles that have given us the freedoms to live, love, and be ourselves.”
Friday, June 2, 6 p.m., Detroit History Tours (Meet at corner of Griswold St. and W. Congress St. - navigate to 500 Griswold). Reserve tickets at bit.ly/42kepeA.5. Study Film Music in an Online LGBTQ+ Workshop
Film buffs and casual watchers alike are invited to a new series of virtual LGBTQ+ film music workshops, set to debut May 19. Each LGBTQ+ Film Music Club event focuses on a different film or TV show (chosen by the facilitator before the session). You’ll dive into topics like instrumentation, texture and harmony led by a professional musician and get to know the other queer participants along the way.
May 19, 2:30 p.m., Zoom. Register at bit.ly/3LZNBuo.
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