Michale Graves was the frontman of the Misfits from 1995 to 2000. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / themockstar

Protesters will demonstrate against a San Antonio concert this week by former Misfits singer Michale Graves, who’s known for ties to the far-right Proud Boys militia group.

The acoustic show is scheduled for 7-10:30 p.m Thursday at the Happy Place Bar, an East Side venue at 4722 Rittiman Road. The rally is planned for 8-10:30 p.m.

“Calling all punks,” an online poster for the protest reads. “Yeah, he used to sing lead for the Misfits, but Michale Graves is a fucking fascist. He wants to play in our town without challenge. Fuck that.”

Happy Place owner Kurt Leathers defended his decision to go ahead with the show in a statement provided to the Current via email. It’s also posted on Facebook.

“I created my company with a culture of community engagement and it would be hypocritical of me to cancel this guy and tell him he’s not welcome because of what he’s done and said in his personal life. Especially when I have the rare and unique opportunity to bring people together over a beer and some music,” Leathers said.

“The most powerful thing I can do is treat him with civility and humanity and let him see for himself what kind of man I am,” Leathers, who is Black, continued in the statement. “Hopefully, he’ll come away with a different perspective on the people he hates and think of me the next time he’s presented with misguided racism.”

The Proud Boys “serves as a tent for misogynistic, anti-immigrant, Islamophobic and anti-LGBTQ+ ideologies and other forms of hate — including antisemitism and white supremacy — that oppose progressivism, feminism, multiculturalism and ‘woke’ ideology in the United States,” according to the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL also labels the organization as a “right-wing extremist group with a history of using violence, targeted harassment and intimidation to achieve their political goals.”
 Graves testified on the behalf of several members of the Proud Boys when they were tried in court for their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. He also posted repeatedly on Parlor to express support for the group.

Beyond that, Graves was reportedly in D.C. during the insurrection. He was scheduled to perform for a private Proud Boys party that day but failed to appear, according to media reports.

Other venues have cancelled Graves’ performances in recent months over his ties to the Proud Boys. Those include venues in Pittsburgh, Colorado Springs, Las Vegas and Mansfield, Texas, according to news reports.

“I have spoken with show organizers and have assurances that there will be no extremism, hate speech, or support for terrorist organizations,” venue owner Leathers continued in his statement. “There will be no weapons, and we will have security enforcing these rules.”

Graves was frontman of the Misfits from 1995 to 2000, a reformed incarnation of the band that didn’t include one-time frontman Glenn Danzig.

San Antonio’s punk community carried on a contentious online debate after the Current wrote about the controversial booking last week.

Some said they support the event, adding that its controversial nature upholds the punk ethos of “anarchy.” Others pointed out that being associated with a group President Donald Trump once told to “stand back and stand by” is the opposite of anarchy.

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This article appears in Apr 2-15, 2025.

Stephanie Koithan is the Digital Content Editor of the San Antonio Current. In her role, she writes about politics, music, art, culture and food. Send her a tip at skoithan@sacurrent.com.