What’s going on in metro Detroit this week (April 16-22)

By Lee DeVito on Tue, Apr 22, 2025 at 2:12 pm

Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Be sure to check venue websites before all events for the latest information. See our online calendar for more ideas for things to do, or add your event: metrotimes.com/AddEvent.

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Kahn Santori Davison

Overlord Scooch

Overlord Scooch is a west side native and an original member of the legendary hip-hop group Doughboyz Cashout. He’s penned eight solo albums that have become staples in Detroit’s street and club scenes along with his heavy contributions to Doughboyz Cashout’s lengthy discography. Scooch has also collaborated musically with some of his city’s brightest stars such as Boldy James, Babyface Ray, Payroll Giovanni, Mack Nickels, Allstar JR, and Peezy just to name a few. Above all, Scooch is known for being a true hip-hop head that can drop a hot 16 on any kind of beat. Last year he released two albums, one in which was a collaboration with Allstar JR and a solo project titled End Of The Summer. He brings this experience and history to El Club on Wednesday.

Starts at 8 p.m. on Wednesday; El Club, 4144 Vernor Hwy., Detroit; elclubdetroit.com. Tickets are $54.39.

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Courtesy photo

Pure Spirits Cocktail Tasting 2025

The spirit industry’s biggest annual sampling event of the year goes down this Friday at Eastern Market. The party will feature dozens of industry suppliers showcasing samples of the finest brands any way you want them – neat, on the rocks, or mixed as an innovative or classic cocktail. There will be food trucks and a cover band on site to keep the vibes high. GA and VIP tickets are available.

VIP Entry at 6:30 p.m., GA at 7:30 p.m. on Friday; Eastern Market Shed #3, Detroit. eventbrite.com. Tickets start at $25.

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Magnolia Pictures

One to One: John & Yoko

John Lennon and Yoko Ono will always have an important place in Michigan history. In 1971, the musicians came to the aid of John Sinclair — the late Detroit activist and former manager of the rock band MC5 who had been sent to the slammer for marijuana possession — by performing as part of a “Freedom Rally” at the University of Michigan’s Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor. They even immortalized the incident in song: “It ain’t fair, John Sinclair/ In the stir for breathin’ air/ Won’t you care for John Sinclair?” Sinclair, who died last year at 82, was freed the following March (and in 2018 Michigan voters legalized cannabis for adult use). The John Sinclair episode is featured prominently in the new documentary One to One: John & Yoko, so it only makes sense to give it a special screening in Ann Arbor. Friday’s screening includes a post-film discussion featuring fellow travelers Leni Sinclair, John’s ex-wife and a photographer and documentarian of the times, and poet-writer M.L. Liebler.

One to One: John & Yoko screens at 7 p.m. on Friday, The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; marquee-arts.org. Tickets are $9.75-11.75.

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Bridging Our Friendship Rally

As anyone who’s ever had the pleasure of interacting with our neighbors to the north knows, Canadians are nice people. The nicest. One time, while visiting a record store in Windsor, I overheard the clerk politely say, “Well, which Nickleback albums don’t you own?” This would never happen in the U.S. The point is that you have to fuck up pretty bad to piss Canadians off, and it seems President Donald Trump has done just that. His bizarre threats to make Canada the “51st state” or slap it with tariffs have riled our nation’s closest ally, with some Canadians even calling for a boycott of U.S. products. This weekend, Americans and Canadians will set aside our differences for “Bridging Our Friendship,” an international gesture of solidarity. All across the U.S.-Canada border, people on both sides plan on gathering at 1 p.m. on Saturday to wave flags, sing each others’ national anthems (time to brush up on the lyrics to “O Canada,” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” for that matter), and show the world some of that famous Canadian kindness. Detroit’s protest will take place at Hart Plaza, organized by the group We the People Dissent. Protests will also be held in Port Huron by Blue Water Indivisible and in Sault Ste. Marie by Yoopers Unite. Hundreds of people showed up at the Detroit-Windsor border for a similar protest last month. Let’s see if we can top it.

Starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday; Hart Plaza, Detroit. No cover.

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