Six years ago, Emily Rose tested out a new concept for a live show.
The Detroit indie-folk singer-songwriter hosted a tribute night honoring a late artist at Ghost Light Bar in Hamtramck, Michigan.
“One of the bartenders at Ghost Light is a close friend and he said, ‘Emily, you could have a regular show here if you wanted.’ He planted that seed, and I did a Jim Croce tribute night in 2017 because he’s a songwriter that I love,” Rose said.
“It was a great show and it was so much fun. In the back of my head, I thought, ‘Well, maybe someday I’ll do a monthly show where I learn a bunch of songs by a different artist.’”
At the time, Rose laid the foundation for what would become “Ghost Night at Ghost Light,” a monthly tribute show featuring local artists performing the music of departed singer-songwriters as well as sharing their own material.
“Last year I was in a position where I realized I needed something to focus my energy on,” said Rose, who launched the concert series last June. “I needed a project to throw myself into … and a lot of my favorite songwriters are dead. The idea to do a different departed songwriter every month just made sense.”
Getting Started with Gordon Lightfoot
Rose’s first “Ghost Night at Ghost Light” celebrated the music of Gordon Lightfoot and featured performances by Dan Minard, Audra Kubat, Jo Serrapere, Annie Bacon and vocalists from The Detroit Women’s Chorus. She also performed with bassist Dan “Ozzie” Andrews and guitarist Steve Caldwell.
“I started with Gordon Lightfoot because he had just passed away, and that’s when it all came together,” said Rose, who now curates and hosts each show the second Wednesday of every month.
“It was time to do a residency and have something regular in my life that I worked toward. I’m at my best when I’m a student … I love researching and I work best when I’m studying.”
As part of her studies, Rose learned 14 of Lightfoot’s songs night and day in preparation for her first official show.
“I struggle with insomnia, so I would wake up in the middle of the night and think, ‘Well, I guess I’m gonna learn a Gordon Lightfoot song.’ I also would take a walk during idle hours and listen to more Gordon Lightfoot,” she said.
“I did the show and I thought, ‘Maybe it would be a nice little draw,’ but it was a great draw. People seemed to love it, and I thought, ‘Oh, is this something that might be good for the community and myself.’”
After that inaugural event, Rose built momentum with the concert series and hosted monthly shows highlighting the music of Warren Zevon, Patsy Cline, Tom Petty, Elliott Smith, Sam Cooke, John Lennon and David Bowie.
“Some of the artists that I do, I know a lot of their material and then other ones I don’t. I’m learning them from scratch, especially for Warren Zevon, and I fell in love with his work. That was a beautiful show, and the next one was Patsy Cline,” she said.
“I had all these girlfriends who I love to sing with … and I thought, ‘This would be a time when I can bring up a bunch of my friends and we can sing harmonies together.’ Every month it’s been this different configuration of artists, musicians and guests. It’s the highlight of my life.”
Preparing Each Show’s Setlist
With eight shows under her belt, Rose continues to refine her approach for selecting a different departed songwriter’s material to learn and perform each month. She also invites a rotating cast of local singer-songwriters to study and perform the show’s setlist alongside her.
“I pick the artists and the songs. Then I pick the keys and how I’m going to do them, and I give them to Ozzie [Andrews],” said Rose, whose monthly lineup first performs a set of the departed songwriter’s music and then performs a second set of their own music.
“I’m lucky to know so many talented musicians around the area. I reach out to them and see if they want to be on the gig. They’ll say, ‘Hey, I can do this song and that song,’ or they’ll ask, ‘Hey, what songs are you doing?’”
Part of that monthly preparation helps Rose determine what each show’s setlist will be, but it’s also a challenge deciding whether to feature “the hits” or explore deep cuts from an artist’s catalog.
“I’ve felt some sort of internal pressure to do the hits … so the people coming would have this experience. I started to wonder why I felt inauthentic and it was because that’s not what ‘Ghost Night’ was ever about for me. It’s more about choosing the songs that speak to me,” said Rose, who also asks Facebook followers for setlist ideas.
“I like to do my rendition of them and some of them I’ll do pretty similar to the recording, but some of them I take in a different direction. It’s more about learning about the artist and what their driving motivations were and who they were as a person. It’s about honoring them in the way that I feel gives people a broader example of who these people were.”
Celebrating Johnny Cash and June Carter for Valentine’s Day
For the next “Ghost Night at Ghost Light” show, Rose is featuring the music of Johnny Cash and June Carter on Valentine’s Day and including performances from Laura Kohn and Marty Kohn, Jo Serrapere, Sodra Jane, Carmel Liburdi and Aaron Jonah Lewis.
“I wanted to do a couple for Valentine’s Day and who better than country music’s iconic [duo]. I think it’s important to talk about how June Carter was a songwriter and person separate from Johnny Cash,” Rose said.
“She wrote ‘Ring of Fire,’ and she was an aspiring actress for a time and a hard-working musician. I want to pay homage to her and The Carter Family; they’re like the origins of country music. I’ll be doing some Carter Family tunes, and I’ll be having Aaron Jonah Lewis do banjo and fiddle on those songs.”
In addition to Carter tunes, Rose and her lineup are covering some Johnny Cash hits, deep cuts and statement pieces.
“He was a country singer, but he was a folk singer, too. I love his fringe stuff—stuff that wasn’t on the radio,” she said. “Then there’s going to be some of [Johnny Cash and June Carter’s] iconic duets. I’ve got this incredible duo of Laura and Marty Kohn … and they will be doing some duets.”
For Rose, “Ghost Night at Ghost Light” is also more than just about the music. It’s an opportunity to create an immersive experience for artists and attendees through slideshows, decorations and more.
“We have a spirit box that we play at the beginning of the show and we have little clips about the artist. I like to do different things every month to keep the show on theme,” she said.
“For this show, I’m going to do a ghost valentine-making station, so there are going to be valentines. If you want to write a valentine to somebody who’s passed away, you can put it in the jar and then I’m gonna ritualistically burn all the ghost valentines that weekend. You can also write a valentine and keep it or give it to your sweetheart.”
As for upcoming “Ghost Night at Ghost Light” shows, Rose has already identified the departed songwriters she’ll be covering in March and April. But she won’t announce the March artist until halfway through the Valentine’s Day show.
“I do [these shows] to become a better writer,” she said. “By studying the masters, we can see how they do things and that may inform me in some way.”
Looking Ahead
Outside of her concert series, Rose is performing Feb. 18 at the Ferndale Area District Library with Dan Cafferty, Michelle Held and Steve Taylor for a “Songwriters in the Round” matinee show. She’s also working on a new concept album and acoustic EP.
“I’ve been working on a concept album for a couple of years now, and I don’t have a release date yet for it. I’m having it orchestrated and I’m almost finished writing it. I’ve been working on this concept album while putting out singles because I know this album is going to take quite a while to create,” said Rose, who last released Wake Up Brave in 2018.
“Last week, I decided I’m going to put out an EP [on cassette] and the working date right now is April 20 for Record Store Day. It’s going to be six songs or so all analog and acoustic with a four-track recorder in my room. [My rendition] of Gordon Lightfoot’s ‘Song for a Winter’s Night’ was my tester to see if I’m able to do a four-track analog home recording.”
Show details:
Wednesday, Feb. 14 | Doors: 7 p.m. & Music: 8 p.m.
Ghost Light Bar, 2314 Caniff St. in Hamtramck, Michigan
Tickets: $18 in advance or $20 at the door
The Stratton Setlist 
Great piece, Lori. You really captured Emily’s personality and encapsulated her approach to her art (mostly by letting her talk. Smart.) BTW, it was a great concert; Laura and I were proud to be part of it.