DOWNRIVER, Mich. – After spending 25 years touring as a musician, Chris Tait found a new calling: helping other artists and community members navigate recovery from addiction.
Now, Tait’s nonprofit, Passenger Recovery, is expanding its work Downriver with a new location on Oak Street in Wyandotte.
The organization plans to bring peer recovery coaching, creative programming and support services closer to people seeking a path to recovery.
Passenger Recovery began in 2016 after Tait drew on his own experience with addiction and sobriety.
Tait, who has played with the Detroit band Electric Six since 2002, said his recovery began after he was asked to leave a tour in 2011 while in Nashville.
Returning to the road later made him aware of how difficult it could be for musicians to remain sober in an industry where drinking and drug use can be normalized.
“There are certain industries where it’s not only accepted, it’s encouraged, and my experience in the music industry is that that’s one of those situations,” Tait said.
Passenger Recovery initially helped touring artists with practical support.
“We would give them rides to support groups, or to go do laundry or get coffee, or anything to get out of that element for a few hours,” Tait said.
Its services have since expanded to include peer recovery coaching, support groups and creative programs that use music and the arts to connect with people considering a change.
The nonprofit also operates Passenger Radio, an online radio station. Tait said the organization’s programming can include painting, creative writing and other activities alongside recovery support.
“We want to use music and arts as an opportunity to show people that recovery isn’t necessarily a punishment,” Tait said. “It could be an opportunity for growth; it could be inspiring.”
Tait said the Wyandotte location will complement existing treatment and therapy services in the area by offering peer support and guidance from people with lived experience.
“We realized that there was a need down here,” he said. “There are amazing residential treatment centers, there are amazing places to go for therapy, but also we were looking to expand into a satellite where we could provide peer recovery coaching and lived experience on the ground floor.”
Recovery and Resilience Festival
Passenger Recovery and the Downriver Council for the Arts will host the Recovery and Resilience Festival from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Downriver Council for the Arts, 81 Chestnut St. in Wyandotte.
The free, all-ages event will feature live music, a local art show, workshops, open talks, recovery resource meetings, artist and community vendors, food and coffee trucks, and organizations serving the recovery community.
The lineup includes Lol Tolhurst, a founding member of The Cure, along with Keelan Starr, Brain Liar, Nate Jones, Jerry Downey, and The Plutophonics.
The first 50 people to register through Eventbrite will receive a free festival T-shirt.
Free parking will be available, and doors open at 11:45 a.m.
Registration is available here.
