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We\u2019ve barely cracked open 2026, and I\u2019ve already had mind-altering experiences at the club, the theater, and venues in between.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start in downtown Detroit, where legendary jazz club Cliff Bell\u2019s is celebrating 20 years under its current ownership. In that time, there have been ebbs and flows of quality on both the menu and the stage.<\/p>\n
In the past few years, however, it\u2019s found its groove as a de facto hub for witnessing Detroit\u2019s next generation of jazz musicians come into their own. I knew Cliff Bell\u2019s was entering an exciting era when I watched living legend Wendell Harrison return to the stage with a cast of young musicians \u2014 true to our city\u2019s legacy of jazz elders who pass the torch to the young cats \u2014 shortly after venues reopened following the COVID-19 shutdowns.<\/p>\n
It was the first live show I saw out of the pandemic. Stuck in my house, I wondered whether live music even mattered. Was it ever that good? Don\u2019t judge me for these wicked thoughts.<\/p>\n
But witnessing Wendell on stage with his youthful supporting cast, I found myself crying in the back of the room, overwhelmed by the power of the performance and the history and design of the space itself.<\/p>\n
And today, when it comes to food at Cliff Bell\u2019s, there\u2019s nothing quite like slurping down drinks and oysters while sitting at one of the onstage tables, where you feel like you\u2019re in the band.<\/p>\n
Curious about the best upcoming shows at Cliff Bell\u2019s to check out, perhaps for the first time? Consider witnessing another living legend with pianist Pamela Wise, presenting \u201cWomen in Jazz\u201d on March 19. To see where the local jazz scene is heading, Kasan Belgrave\u2019s Wednesday night residency is a must-see with a rotating cast of performers. (The next one is on March 25.)<\/p>\n
In January, I was absolutely absorbed by Dimanche, which was presented by the University Musical Society (UMS) at the Power Center for the Performing Arts in Ann Arbor. It was put on by a touring troupe of Belgian mimes and puppeteers using their talents to find comedy and concern about climate change at home and abroad.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s plenty to choose from in UMS\u2019s spring lineup, including performances by the Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker (March 13), an Irish celebration with fiddler Martin Hayes (March 20), and a show by the five-time Grammy Award winner Ang\u00e9lique Kidjo (March 26).<\/p>\n
For the most out-there, \u201cyou\u2019ll likely never see something like this again\u201d experience, see GATZ, a production from New York theater company Elevator Repair Service (March 27-29, also at the Power Center). It\u2019s a marathon eight-hour stage production (two intermissions plus a 90-minute dinner break) that brings every word of The Great Gatsby to the stage. Are you bold enough for something like that? It\u2019s clearly not for everyone, but it\u2019s an experience you\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s still a lot of 2026 to come. Don\u2019t let it zip by without getting out there and witnessing it for yourself.<\/p>\n
Ryan Patrick Hooper is the host of In the Groove on 101.9 WDET Detroit Public Radio (weekdays from noon to 3 p.m.).<\/em><\/p>\n T<\/strong>his story originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of\u00a0Hour Detroit magazine<\/a>. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our\u00a0<\/b>digital edition<\/b><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n