Two James Spirits Dinner & Show with Evening Star

Enjoy a special five-course collaboration dinner from Blue LLama and Two James Distillery, capped off by a live set from Evening Star!

5:30pm — Doors
6:00pm — Five-course dinner, each course paired with a Two James cocktail
8:30pm — Evening Star takes the stage

Evening Star is led by Detroit drummer Tariq Gardner, playing music of the African Diaspora — jazz, neo-soul, Afro-Cuban, spirituals, and hip-hop — with an Afro-futuristic sound built on original compositions and reworked classics from the Black American songbook. The group were 2025 finalists in WDET's Sounds Like Detroit showcase and continue to tour nationally behind their releases Gateway Drug and Vice Tape.

$125 includes five courses, five drink pairings, and your music cover.

About the Menu
Five courses, each paired with a Two James Distillery cocktail:

• Hamachi Crudo — umeboshi, cucumber
  paired with: Old Cockney Gin "Tonic"
• Seared Scallop — fennel, bouillabaisse sauce
  paired with: Nain Rouge Absinthe "Chrysanthemum"
• Duck Breast — roasted pineapple, vanilla
  paired with: Dr. Bird Rum "Daiquiri"
• Gail Force Citrus Gin sorbet intermezzo
• Grilled New York Strip — Stoney Creek Farms mushrooms
  paired with: J. Riddle Peated Bourbon "Boulevardier"
• Opera Cake
  paired with: Coffee Liqueur "Martini"

About the Artist
Evening Star is a Space Odyssey led by Detroit Drummer Tariq Gardner. The group has its roots in Detroit’s expansive musical tradition, blending the city’s rich Jazz legacy with its history of musicians being largely malleable to fit into a wide array of musical styles traveling to the different galaxies of music of the African Diaspora (jazz, neo-soul, Afro-Cuban, spirituals, hip-hop, etc.). Evening Star brings listeners light years into the cosmos while staying true to the roots of the Motherland. The band has an afro-futuristic aesthetic with the mission that simply makes music the forefront of positive outlets with original compositions as well as arrangements on popular songs from the Black American Canon. In 2025, they became finalists in NPR Detroit’s ( WDET) Sounds Like Detroit contest and music Showcase.

Evening Star currently has two releases: Their 2023 freshman project, “Gateway Drug,” and their 2024 Sophomore project, “Vice Tape,” featuring poet Joel “Fluent” Greene. They are currently performing festivals nationwide and looking forward to the recording of their third release.

Tariq Gardner - Drums
Caelin Amin - Bass
LeRoy Mickens - Piano
Max Bowen - Guitar
Coleman Ward - Vocals