Willis Show Bar — Restaurant in Detroit

A Night of Timeless Elegance with Ben Sharkey at The Willis

Last night at The Willis in Midtown Detroit, Ben Sharkey delivered a performance that can only be described as pure magic. In the warm, vintage glow of this old jazz bar, his voice filled the room with the smooth, velvety charm of Michael Bublé—yet with a charisma that was entirely his own.

From the moment he took the mic, Sharkey commanded the stage with effortless confidence, weaving through jazz standards, Bublé favorites, and even a few unexpected gems that had the audience swaying, sipping, and singing along. His rich, expressive vocals carried the romance of Sinatra’s golden era while adding a fresh, contemporary energy that made every note feel alive.

But beyond the impeccable technique and swoon-worthy crooning, it was his connection with the audience that truly set the night apart. Whether locking eyes with an enchanted listener or flashing a playful smile mid-verse, Sharkey transformed the bar into an intimate jazz club of another time—where music wasn’t just heard but felt.

The highlight? A stunning rendition of Feeling Good that sent chills through the room, his voice soaring effortlessly, filling every corner of The Willis with power and passion. As the final notes lingered, the applause was deafening—no one wanted the night to end.

For those who haven’t yet experienced Ben Sharkey live, do yourself a favor. This isn’t just a performance; it’s a journey back to an era of elegance, romance, and truly great music. And for one unforgettable night in Midtown Detroit, we were all lucky enough to be along...

If I could give 0 stars, I would. Tiny bar with the slowest bartenders. 3 of them plus a barback couldn't handle servicing the bar beyond the two seats immediately in front of them. The bar wasn't even crowded yet (10:30pm) and four of us were blatantly ignored for over 45 minutes sitting at the bar while others were served drinks immediately. We were a party of four. Two of us went to the sidebar (which was less crowded) where Regan was bartending - she seemed to purposefully ignore them. My friend had to quite literally wildly wave her arms to get someone to finally even acknowledge her. The barback stopped in to lie that he'll get our drinks made. Two of us then sat center stage. This time Regan, the barback, and the bartender with locs again failed to even acknowledged us. When finally someone got us a drink it had been 45 minutes, and they finally said they couldn't make one of the drinks we asked for. At this point, it's time to go. Sadly, one of us gave her card to the bar so we had to wait for extremely long all over again just to close the tab. We watched Regan service others while ignoring our request to close our tab. We basically had to wave her down and shout. It was quite ridiculous. Couldn't leave fast enough....

This was such a gem to find!!!! First of all it seems as though its in a random/run-down location, but when you walk in you are in a hole other place. The gentleman at the door was extremely kind; he was polite, friendly, and gave a good introduction to what was behind the black curtain (the actual bar). There was complimentary coat check and champagne was provided to us upon arrival. We were brought into the bar and sat actually at the bar which was directly in front of the band. The bar tender was super friendly and the cocktails were fresh and very good (totally on par with Detroit's cocktail scene). We must have tried at least 9 cocktails between my group and none disappointed. The vibe was 1920s, and the decor matched the vibe. I looked around and was pleasantly surprised at the placement of all the tables; you could view the band from anywhere. The DJ was amazing, and the band that followed was even better. The burlesque performance was also great- only comment is maybe the dancer could preform longer than a couple minutes or more often. All in all it was a great night out, great entertainment, great drinks, and I will...