The year was 1966.

Against the backdrop of the Vietnam war on TV every day and the Beatles on the radio, a revolutionary teen night club surfaced at the site of the Northland Playhouse in Southfield Michigan in a futuristic looking geodesic dome, featuring a revolving stage, go go  girls and pulsating psychedelic lights. This was the Mummp, created by Hy Weinstein, a lifelong jeweler, who was born with a passion for innovation. The December opening drew 1600 teens, ages 16 to 21, eager to have a place to go on weekends where they could dance and swill non-alcoholic drinks, called “kiddy cocktails.” The club provided a safe zone for substance free teens, and in that vein, was years ahead of its time. A local treasure, as well as a starting point for home- grown Michigan talents such as Bob Seger, Amboy Dukes, Scott Richard Case, Shy Guys, Mitch Ryder and the Jagged Edge Band, this teen paradise reached its pinnacle with national exposure in an article in Life magazine at the height of its popularity. Sadly, the club closed after two years, following a dispute with its landlord, but the memories will live on forever. We will doubtless never see its likeness again. 

 -Barry LaKritz Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, 2022