Manchester Underground restarts performances

Jennifer Westwood and Dylan Dunbar will headline the Feb. 4 Manchester Underground show at the River Raisin Distillery. (Photo courtesy Jennifer Westwood)

by Marsha Chartrand

After a 2½-year absence, Manchester Underground has restarted its music series in a new home. Manchester Underground Music and Art was formed in 2019 by John Mooneyham and Steve Girbach with the concept of bringing live, original, quality music artists to town for a “once-a-month“ concert in a more “listening room“ atmosphere.

“Spaces where you can hear live, original music are pretty much non-existent these days,” says Mooneyham. “So having a place where fans of original, live music can go hear music and not compete with a coffee machine, or the usual noisy pub, seemed like a no-brainer.”

“Supporting the artists with a fair wage was also important to us,” Girbach added. “There’s too much ‘pay-to-play’ these days. If the artists and patrons leave happy, it was a successful show. The word spreads very quickly. We have some pretty big plans for Underground in 2023.”

After losing their original venue when COVID hit, Manchester Underground found its new home at the River Raisin Distillery. Mooneyham stated, “Steve and I pitched the idea to Joe (at River Raisin Distillery) and his team last summer, and they liked the idea. It took a while to get things scheduled, but they have been extremely supportive. The first show with Michael Katon was a success. It’s going to be a great partnership.”

The first “restart“ show was held on November 19, 2022, and featured Michal Katon, also known as “The Boogie Man from Hell“ — due to the fact he resides in Hell, Mich. He is an international touring musician with a very groove-oriented roadhouse, boogie/blues style with flavors of Muddy Waters, Rory Gallagher, and RL Burnside — all with a Detroit attitude. Michael is no stranger to Manchester, having played here many times at the Black Sheep and Aura Inn (more recently known as The Pleasant Lake Inn) back in the day. In November he was accompanied by Todd Perkins on bass and Tony Bizon on drums.

Manchester Underground Music and Arts’ next show is scheduled for February 4, again at the River Raisin Distillery, and features a return appearance by Jennifer Westwood and Dylan Dunbar, with special guest The Native Heart (Jon Torrence). Westwood and her guitarist husband Dunbar headline this evening of blues/gospel-tinged Americana music at the Distillery. Detroiters Jennifer and Dylan tour across the country as a duo, and more locally with their band The Handsome Devils, playing their brand of music to understandably devout fans.

Multi-instrumentalist The Native Heart opens the February 4 show — if you’re not a fan already, you’ll become one. Jon’s refreshing takes on classics, as well as some done-well original music, has made The Native Heart a favorite of venues and patrons alike.

To stay up to date with Manchester Underground Music and Art events, follow their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterUndergroundEvents. You can also find Underground events on The River Raisin Distillery’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RiverRaisinDistillery.

Manchester Underground welcomed Michel Katon for their first show in two and a half years, in November 2022. (Photo by David Takessian)

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.