Darien Bar To Host Proud Boys Backer, Drawing Criticism

DARIEN, IL – Darien's Q Bar is taking heat on social media since announcing on Friday that a singer known for his far-right connections is performing next month.

Former Misfits frontman Michale Graves is taking the stage March 5 at Q Bar. He has endorsed the Proud Boys, which the Southern Poverty Law Center labels as a hate group.

In response, the Darien Arts Council announced Tuesday it was withdrawing its upcoming show, "Working," from Q Bar. It said Graves belongs to a group that promotes intolerance and hate.

"This decision aligns with our commitment to speak up against harmful ideologies that threaten the values of unity and understanding that we hold dear," the group said.

In a statement to Patch, the council said, "To be clear, this will be a significant blow to the DAC as we have always struggled in Darien to find space for performances. However, the Board is willing to see this through regardless of the ramifications."

Over the weekend, a Pittsburgh venue known for being gay-friendly canceled Graves' performance on March 2 after receiving criticism.

In 2020, he posted to X that he was a "proud Western chauvinist," which is what Proud Boys call themselves. The post was later deleted.

A couple of years ago, Graves testified on behalf of members of the Proud Boys charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. He also promoted Jan. 6 events beforehand.

In a Facebook post last week, the Pittsburgh venue, SideQuest on 44th, said many had contacted it about Graves' connections to the Proud Boys.

The business said it booked the show through a promoter and was unaware of Graves' affiliations.

SideQuest said it wanted to promote safety and inclusion.

"We apologize for our oversight in this booking and will work to prevent things like this from happening in the future," SideQuest said.

For his part, Graves tweeted that he knew SideQuest learned toward gay and marginalized communities. He said he "never once thought about canceling the show or doing anything different than I would ever do."

"Someone help me fight back against this insanity," Graves said. "I have never done anything to deserve this."

Bob Taft, Q Bar's owner, could not be reached for immediate comment.

Taft is no stranger to controversy. In 2023, he texted former Darien Alderman Tom Chlystek, calling him a "f------ loser" and the alderman's wife a "pig." And Taft bragged that he made a lot more money than Chlystek. The men disagreed over video gambling.

In a later email to Patch, Taft, a member of the city's Economic Development Committee, said he apologized for his comments.

Mayor Joseph Marchese stood by Taft, keeping him on the city committee.