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

Michale Graves, the Proud Boys-tied singer who fronted horror-punk band Misfits during its ’90s resurrection, is booked to play San Antonio’s Happy Place Bar on Thursday, April 10, prompting outrage from the city’s underground music community.

Graves, who sang for Misfits from 1995 to 2000, has long been known for his conservative views but has taken increasing heat for his outspoken support for far-right militia the Proud Boys. Indeed, a number of Graves’ recent concerts have been cancelled amid outrage over his association with the organization.

The Proud Boys are considered a “far-right extremist group” by the Anti-Defamation League, which describes the militia 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.” Both Canada and New Zealand have designated the Proud Boys a terrorist group.

Members of the the Proud Boys participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, joining members of the Oath Keepers and other groups in a riot that injured at least 140 law-enforcement officers, likely more, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

In the days leading up to the insurrection, Graves posted on his website that he would be in D.C. for the Alex Jones InfoWars “Rally to Save America.” With the announcement, he included the following statement: “I will be in Washington DC on January 5th and 6th taking part in several different missions alongside hundreds of thousands of fellow American patriots rally in the capital.”

As the insurrection was unfolding, Graves reshared a post on right-wing platform Parler showing members of Congress cowering in the Capitol. “When the people fear the government, there is tyranny… When the government fears the people… There is liberty,” the post read.

Later that same day, Graves reshared a Parler post reading “R. I. P. America 1776-2021.”

Graves was also scheduled to play a private show for members of the Proud Boys on the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, but failed to appear, according to Reuters. Later, he testified on behalf of five members of the militia group as they faced seditious conspiracy charges over their involvement in the Capitol riot, the news service also reports.

A Monday subreddit post in r/San Antonio called out Happy Place, located at 4722 Rittiman Road on San Antonio’s East Side, for its booking decision. The redditor in question urged local punks to call the venue and complain.

“We have a large punk community here in SA and we don’t like Proud Boys and white supremacists,” the post by ThothAmon71 said. “I urge you to reach out to The Happy Place and let them know our community doesn’t support this.”

Activists and music fans began sharing the Reddit post on other social media platforms. Some of those posting accused the venue of “platforming Nazis.”

In response to the backlash, the Happy Place issued a Facebook statement saying it’s “committed to fostering an inclusive environment” and added that it’s “looking into the matter” of Graves’ booking.

A slew of venues have cancelled Graves’ shows over the past couple of months over his ties to the Proud Boys. These include venues in Pittsburgh, Colorado Springs, Las Vegas and Mansfield, Texas, according to news reports.

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This article appears in Mar 19 – Apr 1, 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.