Musicians – especially touring musicians and their professional crew members – experience highs and lows like no other profession. Omnipresent is the high-high fleeting exhilaration of the stage to the low-low of endless miles of highway, shlepping and loading equipment, and waiting. Killing time mostly occurs in bars and clubs where alcohol and drugs can be the nearest available means to both take the edge off and seemingly feed the spark.
For music industry professionals, this can be a deadly milieu, an isolating path to addiction.
And for those artists, musicians, sound techs, roadies and others who have pulled the nose of the plane up and found a road to recovery, the tenuous grip on sobriety gets insanely slippery, with historically precious few resources and support – in their hometowns and especially on the road.
In 2016, after experiencing the isolation of trying to maintain sobriety while touring with Electric Six, Detroit musician ChristopherTait decided there had to be a better way to support recovery in the music industry.
What began as informal outreach – offering rides to support groups and resources to touring and local musicians and music professionals, and providing a quiet space away from venues – has evolved into
Passenger, an innovative recovery community organization that's reshaping how the music industry approaches addiction support in Southeast Michigan.
"I was on tour in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We'd driven from Calgary, like a 10-hour drive," Tait recalls. "As somebody trying to stay sober and being in bars every night, my head was kind of on fire. There was no green room, it was freezing cold outside. My options were to sit in a van freezing and listening to old AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] tapes, or sit in a functioning bar. That was the moment I always point to – there's got to be an easier way to do this."
Necessity is the mother of invention and Tait soon found that there were others who shared the desire to create a safe space for music professionals in recovery. They turned this acute need into action, founding the grassroots recovery organization, Passenger Recovery, in Detroit soon after that road-weary epiphany.
Tait and company started where they were. The first couple years, they focused on raising awareness via social media and with grassroots outreach and activity in the Detroit music scene. They collected and distributed resources for music pros in recovery, tabled at gigs to spread the word, and used social media and the inter-connected network of the music community to get the word out that they were available to provide rides to meetings and even provide a safe and sober “green room” for those in recovery.
The organization found its footing – and a wide online world of collaborator organizations –during the pandemic when the music industry ground to a halt. While devastating for many, the pause allowed recovery-focused organizations to connect in unprecedented ways. For example, Passenger partnered with UK-based
Music Support to launch virtual recovery meetings spanning different time zones. It was initially intended for touring professionals, but quickly expanding to serve industry workers grappling with the sudden stillness of lockdown.
These connections proved crucial to Passenger's evolution. Through partnerships with organizations like
The Sims Foundation in Austin and
Faces and Voices of Recovery, Passenger transformed from a music industry-specific service into an accredited recovery community organization (RCO) in 2022, serving a wider recovery community, part of a larger network of recovery organizations that share best practices, resources and support.
Now housed in a former convent on Caniff St. near Joseph Campau Ave. in the heart of Hamtramck, Passenger opened its doors as a full-time, full-service organization in February 2024.
Since opening, its programs have grown organically, offering eight weekly support groups and hosting creative programming that bridges recovery and artistic expression. The Hamtramck location is both central geographically as well as culturally in Detroit, home to dozens of music venues, bars and clubs where local and touring bands perform.
Over the past year, Passenger has expanded its offerings in the Hamtramck space. The organization's collaborative approach is evident in its diverse programming. Local muralist Amanda Garcia adorned the walls with roller rink stripes, while National Geographic photographer Ruben Wu and other artists contributed works to create a welcoming environment that feels more like a cultural hub than a traditional recovery space.
Regular events include creative writing sessions with
Jimmy Doom, legendary Detroit writer, punk scene mover, musician and actor; guided classical music listening with programming director
Bryan Wolf; and partnerships with
The Phoenix, a nationwide recovery movement offering everything from kickboxing to acrylic painting workshops.
Looking ahead, Passenger is developing music therapy programs with MSU School of Music Detroit and launching a digital radio station that will combine cultural programming with practical recovery dialogue.
Passenger Radio just launched, offering shows, music and other content designed to spread the word about recovery resources and reach even more creative professionals seeking support and community.
"Everybody's got a favorite band. Everybody likes a little bit of pop culture," Tait explains. "There's a connection to things that people are passionate about that's built into it. You can talk shop. But even if you're not somebody who's involved in the music industry, you can pick up a book on John Coltrane or Leonard Cohen and flip through it. That helps drop the barriers to asking questions about things that might be difficult to talk about."
This approach appears to be taking root. Since its second month of operation, Passenger has averaged 250 visitors monthly. Organization reps will be at the
Corktown Music Festival April 24-26, passing out Narcan at the Gaelic League and shuttling people between gigs. Passenger is the official charity of the CMF.
Beyond local impact, the organization maintains connections with recovery initiatives worldwide, featuring online interviews (livestreamed and archived on
Passenger’s YouTube Channel) with music industry professionals like Joanne Croxford, a tour production manager for acts like Sia and Duran Duran, who shares her recovery journey through Passenger's "If You Can See It, You Can Be It" series.
The evolution from informal support network to established community resource hasn't changed Passenger's core mission of meeting people where they are. "Church basements saved my life," Tait reflects, "but it doesn't have to be bad coffee in a church basement with bad science class light. It doesn't have to be as uncomfortable as possible."
This story is part of the Nonprofit Journal Project, an initiative focused on nonprofit leaders and programs across Metro Detroit. This series is made possible with the generous support of our partners, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Michigan Nonprofit Association and Co.act Detroit.