Koffin Kats Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Bash w/Against The Grain and The Rumours.
Zac Vic Victor of The Koffin Kats at The Token Lounge 11/26/2026. - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein.
The best part about Thanksgiving, other than having the week off work, is the stretch that starts with the annual pre-Thanksgiving show at the Token Lounge hosted by The Koffin Kats. It's a late-night event that doesn't leave a lot of time to sleep before we are heading downtown in the morning for Detroit's Thanksgiving parade. That will be followed by tailgating and the Detroit Lions playing the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. This year the halftime show would be Jack White and Eminem, completely overshadowed by The Koffin Kats. With the entire weekend still ahead, we would eventually fit in a Thanksgiving feast with family and pick out a Christmas wreath.
Tommy Koffin of The Koffin Kats at The Token Lounge 11/26/2026. All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein.
Each year The Koffin Kats show has a theme, last year being Masters of the Universe and this year being the apocalypse. Usually it's a well-kept secret that the audience doesn't know until the curtain opens. This year they released the theme in advance to give us a chance to participate. Although I didn't see a lot of Mad Max-type costumes in the crowd, the place was packed and the lineup was stellar (all three bands could have been the headliners). Word was that The Rumours drove straight through from California, got to the show within about 15 minutes of their set time, and jumped right up on the stage to play. This was the first show on their tour with The Koffin Kats, and they kicked it off in style.
Eric Walls II of The Koffin Kats at The Token Lounge 11/26/2026. All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein.
For the rest of the tour, Playboy Manbaby would be on the bill. I’d seen them in Las Vegas at Punk Rock Bowling, and they are entertaining, but I still feel like Detroit got lucky with the substitution. Against The Grain is speed rock at its best, and they killed with a bunch of new songs along with old classics. No frills, just straight-up rock and roll that requires earplugs if you value your hearing long-term.
The anticipation built as they closed the curtains and took at least 10 minutes to set up the stage. When the curtains opened, there was an apocalypse backdrop, stacked truck tires, and the band dressed in full-on Mad Max attire. Zac Vic Victor took the stage through the crowd in a leather jacket, steampunk-style mirrored glasses, and a motorcycle helmet. Tommy Koffin had his full mohawk grown out and incredibly realistic zombie makeup, and Eric Walls II was in a gas mask. They played a 20+ song set that opened with “Intro/Way Of The Road,” included their iconic cover of “Maneater” by Hall & Oates, and finished with “The Bottle Called,” “Needles & Blades,” and “For Hire.” What a great way to start the weekend.
