Detroit, MI
Memorial Day Weeknd: Hitmaker thrills Ford Field at first of two concerts
The Toronto superstar lit up downtown Detroit with a stunning stage production full of blinding lights.
The lights were blinding inside Ford Field on Saturday night — as were the lasers, bursts of pyrotechnics and flashes from phones in the audience — as Toronto superstar the Weeknd brought his After Hours Til Dawn Tour to the downtown stadium, a stunning stage spectacle that made full, thrilling use of the Detroit Lions’ home and made his last stop at the venue, in July 2022, seem like a warmup act.
The stage was outfitted with a long runway that stretched the full length of the stadium floor, with two wings that expanded out to the sides. (From overhead, the stage resembled a cross.) Sections of the venue’s club level were blocked off to house huge lighting rigs which flashed weapons grade strobe lights, and the full production transformed the stadium into a massive dance floor for the sold-out crowd of more than 40,000 fans.
Those fans were treated to more than two hours of hits that were accentuated by dark synth stabs and booming bass drops while the Weeknd, aka 35-year-old Abel Tesfaye, sang over top in his smooth, polished tones. Saturday was the first round of the singer’s two-night stand at Ford Field, and he clocks in again for work at the venue on Sunday night.
“Remember I told you last time we were gonna play two nights?” he asked the audience, and indeed, that was a promise he made at Ford Field three years ago. Such a feat was unthinkable when the Weeknd made his Detroit debut at Saint Andrew’s Hall back in 2012 or when he played an undersold show at the Fox Theatre a year later, but such has been the run for the artist who started with a trio of mixtapes in 2011 and was known early on for never showing his face.
Now his face is everywhere, including the movies, and there were no mentions on stage of “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” the companion piece to his current album which is currently playing to empty audiences at a theater near you and is destined to pick up several Razzies at the end of the year. (The movie is, at best, unsuccessful, and that’s being generous.)
But that’s OK because the stage is where he belongs, and this time his vision was even more fully realized than the last time around, with a crumbling cityscape surrounding the main stage, a mega-sized video wall as the stage’s backdrop, and a towering gold statue at the center of the production that looked like either a hood ornament or an Oscar statue’s female counterpart.
A squad of more than two dozen female dancers wore all red and covered their faces with gold masks, and the Weeknd wore a hooded robe and a mask with light-up eyes for the first few songs. It was like if “Eyes Wide Shut” was a stadium tour, with pop-R&B as the soundtrack instead of the dark, eerie chants from the Kubrick movie.
This review is developing…
The Pistons have made recent moves to add more shooting, but still don’t have anyone quite as lethal as former Detroit guard Luke Kennard. On Saturday night, Kennard had a brilliant start to his postseason with 27 uber-efficient points for the Lakers in a win against the Rockets. His level of 3-point accuracy is something the Pistons have desperately been seeking all season long to bolster their offense.
Luke Kennard’s shooting makes him a dangerous playoff performer
Kennard was originally drafted to Detroit with the 17th pick of the 2017 Draft. The Pistons have plenty of draft regrets from that general era of team history, but picking Kennard has never been one of them. Despite any other weaknesses he may have, his strength as a shooter has always been enough to offset them.
In terms of pure 3-point percentage, Kennard is one of the best shooters in NBA history. He averages 44% behind the arc for his career, and shot a blistering 48% this season – the best mark in the league. Given his incredible track record, it’s not exactly a shocker to see him shoot 5-of-5 from three en route to 27 points in Game 1.
Not only is Kennard obviously an excellent standstill shooter, but he’s also a master of getting himself open with his movement. On Saturday night, he was able to play off LeBron James perfectly for a few easy looks. After that, he caught enough of a rhythm to create 3-point looks for himself, even in transition.
A player like Kennard is easily capable of turning an entire playoff game when he gets hot. In a close series, that one game where Kennard hits several threes can be all the difference his team needs to advance. If the Lakers do manage to win this series, even without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves, Kennard’s shooting will be a major reason why.
The Pistons could use someone like Kennard
Kennard would be a perfect marginal addition for the Pistons that only makes them better without taking anything away from the team. To be fair, the Pistons do have two shooters who have been hot recently in Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter. But having more than one respected shooter on the court at a time is often necessary to maintain a solid offense in today’s NBA.
Given the Pistons’ current lack of shooting, any additional shooters are welcome. And Kennard is understandably one of the most feared shooters in the league, capable of bending defenses just by the threat of him taking a three. Rolling him out on the Pistons would surely open up more lanes for Detroit’s stars to attack the paint and score easier points.
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A Detroit woman was arrested in the aftermath of a hit-and-run collision and shooting on Interstate 94, Michigan State Police reported.
Emergency dispatchers were called shortly after midnight Saturday about the altercation. Troopers reported the caller said while they were driving eastbound on I-94, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a black Jeep sideswiped them and sped off.
The caller then decided to follow the Jeep.
In response, police said, the driver of the Jeep fired several gunshots in the caller’s direction.
None of the gunshots struck the vehicle.
Troopers were able to use license plate reader camera technology to locate the Jeep while it was on the Lodge Freeway, made a traffic stop. The driver and two passengers were taken into custody without incident.
The passengers were released shortly afterwards; troopers believe that the 19-year-old driver was the shooter. She has been lodged pending further review by the prosecutor’s office.
In addition, a firearm was recovered from the vehicle.
The above video originally aired on Aug. 19, 2025.
NBA playoffs best matchups
Breaking down the best first-round NBA playoff matchups.
Who is favored in the NBA playoffs odds for Game 1 between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic?
Here’s what you need to know about NBA playoff betting odds for the NBA game between the No. 8 seed Magic and No. 1 seed Pistons, which is being played on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
What is the point spread for the Pistons vs Magic game?
What is the moneyline for the Magic vs Pistons game?
What is the over/under (point total) for betting on the first-round NBA playoff matchup?
NBA playoffs odds: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | NBA championship odds | Game odds
Watch Magic at Pistons on Peacock
Magic vs Pistons odds: What is point spread?
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Detroit Pistons are an 8.5-point favorite over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series.
NBA playoffs Game 1 predictions, picks: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | The Republic’s score projections
Pistons vs Magic odds: What is moneyline?
BetMGM Sportsbook lists Detroit as -375 on the moneyline for the first-round NBA playoff game. It has Orlando at +290.
NBA playoffs series schedules, TV channels: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | Daily schedule | First-round matchups
Magic vs Pistons odds: What is over/under?
The point total for the opening game of the NBA playoffs series between the Pistons and Magic is listed at 218.5 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
NBA playoffs series picks, predictions: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | The Republic’s predictions | NBA playoff bracket
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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