Supersuckers, The Rumours and Against The Grain in Detroit.
The Rumours at Small’s Bar in Hamtramck, MI. All photos by Paul Holstein.
For 27 years, Small’s has been one of those Detroit-area bars that doesn’t need to be the biggest venue in town to have a big place in the history of underground music. Opening in Hamtramck in 1999, Small’s became a home for punk, hardcore, metal, garage, and alternative bands, giving both Detroit-area musicians and touring acts a place to play in an intimate setting. Over the years, the stage at Small’s has hosted everyone from local legends to internationally known underground acts, including The Dead Kennedys, The Meatmen, Gang Green, Nashville Pussy, Negative Approach, Sham 69, T.S.O.L., Acidez, Guttermouth, Diesel Boy, The Suicide Machines, The Queers, Off With Their Heads!, The Venomous Pinks, The Briefs, Guitar Wolf, The Rumjacks, The Casualties, Teenage Bottlerocket, Total Chaos, Escape From The Zoo, and Get Dead (and that list is just from the shows I was at).
What makes Small’s history particularly interesting is the consistency. While Detroit’s music scene has changed dramatically since the late ’90s, Small’s has continued to provide the kind of small, independent space where a band can jump into the crowd and play inches away from its audience. The commonly listed capacity is around 300, but more than half of the space is the merch area and a full bar with tables, separated from the stage by a hallway. It feels like fewer than 100 people actually fill the space in front of the band during most shows.
Twenty-seven years later, Small’s remains part of the fabric of the Hamtramck and Detroit music scene—not because it tried to become something bigger, but because it stayed true to what a small independent music bar is supposed to be. Owner Mike Mouyianis is a longtime Detroit music-industry guy who went from working load-ins and production at St. Andrew's Hall to tour-managing bands including The Suicide Machines, Seduce, and The Romantics to running Alvin's and eventually owning Small’s. It’s my favorite place to see shows, and it will continue to be as long as I’m able to enjoy live music.
Against The Grain at Small’s Bar in Hamtramck, MI. All photos by Paul Holstein.
Against the Grain absolutely shreds. This was an incredible bill opening for The Rumours and Supersuckers, but I would have been there if they were the only band playing. Drummer Rob Nowak had a Zeke shirt on, which was fitting, as Zeke is probably the only band that plays faster. ATG is a Detroit band, but this was a full weekend for them - playing Indianapolis on Friday at The Melody Inn (their first show there in 7 years) with Stackhaus and D.U.I., Green Bay Saturday at Titletown Brewery with The Riverboat Gamblers and Left Lane Cruisers, and then coming home to Hamtramck on Sunday. Rob mentioned that they had transportation issues getting back, so even though it was advertised that they would go on at 7:45 sharp, they were hustling to go on by 8:00. There was new merch and new songs; they played in near darkness with smoke and coloured lights. It was fast and loud, and I was completely immersed in the moment. If you have not seen these guys live, add it to your bucket list.
The Rumours at Small’s Bar in Hamtramck, MI. All photos by Paul Holstein.
The Rumours are a three-piece from Waterloo, Iowa, made up of Carli Foxx (guitar/vocals), Ela Rose (bass/vocals), and Clint Wheelman (drums). They describe themselves as a collision of rock 'n' roll and punk, with a metal edge. They are influenced heavily by Motörhead and Joan Jett, and their live shows are a big part of their appeal (you have to see it to believe it). If you haven't heard them yet, they have several full-length albums including "Suck It" from 2020 and "Kill or Be Killed" from 2024, and the word is that they are working on new material for another album in 2026. I saw them the first time at The Token Lounge last year supporting Koffin Kats for their annual pre-Thanksgiving bash, and they may have even gotten better since. On the way down to the show, as we jammed my custom playlist in the car, I was telling my friends that my bet is that on the way home everyone would be saying that The Rumours stole the show. I was right, by a long shot.
Eddie Spaghetti of Supersuckers at Small’s Bar in Hamtramck, MI. All photos by Paul Holstein.
Supersuckers, self-proclaimed greatest rock-and-roll band in the world (and they are not wrong), are always a great show. They hit the stage late, about 10:00 pm, and opened with "Born With A Tail" (usually their encore) and never let up. We got Eddie Spaghetti wearing a cowboy hat, band introductions, the middle finger salute during "Born With A Tail," solo Metal Marty songs, and the band bowing to the crowd at the end. They didn't play my favorite songs, "I Want The Drugs" and "She's My Bitch," or the song my buddies have been waiting years to hear live, "Can Pipe." We did get a 75-minute, 20-song set with plenty of classics and songs from their new album, though, including "Maybe I'm Just Messin' With You," "The Evil Powers of Rock-N-Roll," "Pretty Fucked Up," and "Coattail Rider." The place was packed on a Sunday night; the fall weather was perfect, and this capped off an incredible weekend full of shows. When Supersuckers come back around, I'll be there in the front row again.
