Check out the summer lineup for the Whitney garden parties

Mt File photo

5/17
Jill Jack
A woman with a strong drive and ambition, Jill Jack has a unique voice, with a distinct timbre that sets her apart. Fusing folk, rock, and country, Jill draws comparisons to such singers as Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant, "and any other chick with a guitar", she laughs. The intuitive sensitivity of Jill's songwriting is often compared to Woody Guthrie and even John Mellencamp.

Special time for this week only; general admittance at 7 p.m. (Sprint for the Spirits fun run participants admitted earlier).

5/24
Brunswick Brawlers
The Brunswick Brawlers is a Detroit based group of musicians who came together to play the music they love and admire. They play a mix of early American popular music including jump blues, Western swing, early rock n roll and rhythm and blues. They can be found performing throughout the city of Detroit.

5/31
The Aston Neighborhood Pleasure Club
The Aston Neighborhood Pleasure Club bring the sounds of New Orleans street bands to every place they play. This acoustic ensemble is equally at home in your living room, in a club, or on the street. Whether providing hot horn lines, gritty guitar comping, or sultry singing, the ANPC evoke the festive spirit of New Orleans whenever they perform. Come check us out the next time we're playing.

6/7
Drew Schultz & The Broken Habits
Drew Schultz is a prolific drummer, songwriter, percussionist, and producer who has worked with artists including the Temptations, Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves, Maurice White of Earth Wind & Fire, The Dramatics, Contours, Miracles, Harold Melvin's Blue Notes, Jerry Butler, and many more. He has written songs for legendary soul artists including the Four Tops, Funk Brothers, Reggie Torian of The Impressions, Chairmen of the Board, Melvin Davis, Spyder Turner, Dennis Coffey, Lenny Pickett of Tower of Power/SNL, and and countless others. Drew recently formed his group the Broken Habits, featuring some of the Motor City's finest including guitarist Carlton Washington, vocalist Trish Shandor, bassist Matt Ryan, and keyboardist Mike Harrison. Drew Schultz & The Broken Habits are a virtuosic quintet mixing songs that Drew has written for legendary artists, as well as the iconic hits that made them famous, creating an entertaining combination of original material and classic covers carrying on the legacy of Detroit Soul Music.
Photo via Cleveland Scene

6/14
Billy Brandt & The Sugarees
Billy Brandt and the Sugarees is the latest in Billy Brandt’s Americana projects. Billy is the winner of two Detroit Music Awards for Best Americana Recording and the Sugarees are a jam band, a country band and a rock band all rolled into one. The lineup includes Detroit’s finest in John Holkeboer (the Sequins, Ryan Dillaha, Honky Tonk Tuesdays and Sundays) on Bass, Chris Degnore (the Blackdrops, Jill Jack) on guitar, and John Porter (The Blackdrops and many others) on Drums.

6/21
The Gasoline Gypsies
Rollicking, genre-transcending Blue Water Michigan Rock N Roll delivered by four guys who clearly love their craft. With three part vocal harmonies, driving guitar and bass riffs, the songs are powerful and intense, yet simple and pure. The Gypsies released "Killin' Time" on July 1st 2017, not long after they were deemed one of the “Three ?Best Unsigned Bands in the USA” by JBL, and right before they became Grand Prize Winners of the Michigan State Fair Superstar contest. Now, we are eagerly anticipating the next Gypsies EP, produced by wizards Chuck Alkazian and Nadir Omowale at the legendary Pearl Sound Studios, part of the Superstar Contest package. Early word is “Whew!! Sizzling Hot!!, from all those who were in studio for the creation process.

6/28
The Scrappers
The Scrappers are a 4-piece rock 'n' roll band with harmonies, pedal steel and real songwriting. If The Beatles drank with Hank, this is what may have resulted. If you stroll through Strawberry Fields under the Nashville Skyline, The Scrappers would be the wind breathing through the trees. These four Detroiters may have spent an endless summer in Laurel Canyon with Gram, but it's not all Nudie Suits and cowboy hats. The dock of the bay they're sitting on looks out over Cripple Creek, creating another ripple in their torn and frayed jeans.

7/5
Jo Serrapere & The Willie Dunns
Jo Serrapere, a songwriter from the Detroit area, fuses elements of various modern and traditional folk music, old-time and electric blues, garage rock, swing, and alt-country. She started the old-time country girl group Uncle Earl and performs with the band Stella! regularly. With the Willie Dunns (John Devine, Dave Roof and Stuart Tucker), Jo performs her original songs as well as classics from artists like Mississippi John Hurt, Bessie Smith and Tom Waits.

7/12
Jennifer Westwood & The Handsome Devils
Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils are a Detroit based roots rock band with honky tonk soul. The band shakes audiences with blues guitar licks and soulful vocals in their live performance. Named in the Hot 100 by Music Connection Magazine; they have 5 Detroit Music Awards to their credit. Guitarist Dylan Dunbar has served as axman for two Handy Award/International Blues Challenge award winners as well as country artist Whitey Morgan. The band has been on bills around the country with diverse acts such as Delbert McClinton, Jason Eady, The Mavericks, Paul Thorn, Hayes Carll and others.

7/19
Olivia Millerschin Trio
Just 22, Detroit singer-songwriter Olivia Millerschin has composed and released two full-length albums. Her second, Look Both Ways, is currently nominated for an Independent Music Award in the category of Best Adult Contemporary Album. Millerschin recently celebrated her second John Lennon Songwriting Award with a main stage showcase at NAMM 2018. Her voice was also heard in the 2018 Olympics Ice Dancing competition for skaters Madison Chock and Evan Bates. Millerschin was a quarter finalist on America’s Got Talent, has won the Great American Song Contest, is featured on Republic Records soundtrack to Mitch Albom’s latest novel, and has music in national film and tv. Olivia plays ukulele, piano, guitar, headlines national tours, and opens for established artists.

7/26
The Whiskey Charmers
The Whiskey Charmers is a Detroit-based band led by Carrie Shepard and Lawrence Daversa. Fans have often compared their sound to riding through the desert with the top down, or the feeling of being in some lonesome smoky bar off the side of an abandoned highway, or music from a Spaghetti Western. William P Davis (Former Deputy Director of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville) says of the band, “I’ve heard a lot of good musicians. The Whiskey Charmers remind me of no one – and, to me, that is of the best compliments an act can receive.”

8/2
Cold Tone Harvest
Southeast Michigan quartet Cold Tone Harvest is no stranger to the slow burn. Country-infused melodies and rhythms lace with a lush ambience often reserved for the loneliest of instrumental compositions. Rich and rugged baritone vocals, clearly suited to whiskey songs and heartache anthems, instead turn their howls and growls towards brave and poetic lyric territory rarely found in a common folk or bluegrass outing.

8/9
Crashing Cairo
An anthemic indie-rock band based in metro Detroit, Crashing Cairo is like a well-blended Radiohead, U2 and Coldplay smoothie; ultra tasty, yet unique with a style and sound that is all their own. The band is amidst a flurry of single releases that began in 2016 and will continue through this year. Songs picked up by college radio stations around the country were produced by Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, Guster) and Tim Palmer (David Bowie, U2, Pearl Jam).

8/16
Matt Dmits
Matt Dmits has been writing and performing music in the Detroit area and the Midwest since the late 1990’s. Working as a vocalist, songwriter, and guitar player, he has shared the stage with numerous local and national artists- both as an accompanist and as a stand-alone performer of Detroit Americana.

8/23
Post Imperial Jazz Band
Post Imperial Jazz BandThe super group no one knew they needed! Featuring members of Lac La Belle, Detroit Pleasure Society, and The Detroit Party Marching Band. New time old timey folk, jazz and blues featuring tuba, mandolin, accordion, clarinet, saxophone, fingepicked guitar, and the sweetest of girl harmonies. The band is so “post” that they’ve already changed their name, so catch 'em now to say you knew 'em when!

8/30
The Luddites
The Luddites are a fun 10-piece original, acoustic band, often described as Eastern-European Jazz Rock. To date, they have received seven Detroit Music Awards. Equipped with a four-piece horn section, their music swings full of mischief with both a serious and lively nod to the spirit of the Peasant.

9/6 Barbarossa Brothers
While their biography says they hail from Michigan, one listen to Barbarossa Brothers suggests a musical philosophy with its roots much further south. Drew Pentkowski and Loren Kranz started out as an acoustic duo, sharing songs and singing harmony. Bassist Ryan Fitzgerald came along soon after. After five years with the band, Ryan decided it was time to move on, and the Barbarossa Brothers, once again a duo, called on a couple friends to round out the sound. With Loren switching to keys and Drew on electric guitar, the group expanded to a five-piece band, with the addition of husband-and-wife drum & bass team Andy and Allison Scott, as well as mentor Scott VanDell on guitar. Tapping into their love of the blues, gospel and the rhythms of New Orleans, BBros continued crafting their patented brand of 'bayou folk-rock'.

9/13
Brunswick Brawlers
Back again to close the season. The Brunswick Brawlers is a Detroit based group of musicians who came together to play the music they love and admire. They play a mix of early American popular music including jump blues, Western swing, early rock n roll and rhythm and blues. They can be found performing throughout the city of Detroit.