Farmington Hills

A city in the Detroit area

Farmington Hills keeps its live-music footprint small but specific. On Northwestern Highway, Kola Restaurant & Ultra Lounge bills itself as Metropolitan Detroit's only African Restaurant & Ultra Lounge, pairing West African and Caribbean cuisine with music that leans into the continent's diaspora. Programming runs from live bands playing Afrobeat, Reggae, Jazz, and Neo-soul to comedians and poets, with DJs spinning Reggae, Soca, African, and Amapiano on the dance floor on weekend nights. Open mic poetry nights also appear on the calendar. On the other end of the dial, Shots Bar & Grille on West 10 Mile books live bands alongside yard games and sports on TV, leaning toward rock cover acts. Bands like Rock 22 and Moondog have played weekend sets there. Wednesday nights belong to karaoke. Together, the two spots cover opposite ends of the spectrum: an African and Caribbean lounge experience at Kola, and a neighborhood bar rock scene at Shots.