Playing Your Song: Detroit Concert Venues Feature the Biggest Names in Music
Up for some music? Want to see your favorite music performer in action? Love the live experience of a concert? Detroit's capacity for handling big crowds and drawing the biggest names in music makes it a prime destination for concert-goers. This is Motown after all - the city where the likes of Stevie Wonder and the Supremes launched their careers. Rising stars and local bands still find an enthusiastic welcome for music of all kinds in Detroit City.
Fox Theatre
The preservation of the Fox Theatre is one of Detroit's proudest achievements. The 5,000-seat palace of the arts, arguably the most opulent in the nation when it opened in 1928, was designated a national landmark in 1989 after an $11 million renovation. The Fox is now busy with concerts, family-oriented shows and a wide variety of other offerings. It's the anchor of the Theatre District and perhaps Detroit's greatest civic treasure. In 2008, the Fox welcomes American pop band The Jonas Brothers; Grammy award-winning R&B, soul and jazz singer Jill Scott; and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, recipients of the 2007 Grammy award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, for the track Gone Gone Gone. Audiences can also catch big-name entertainers like comedians Chris Rock and Frank Caliendo.
Joe Louis Arena
Home of the 10-time Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, Joe Louis Arena proudly stands along the banks of the Detroit River. The 20,058-seat arena is Detroit City's largest indoor venue and regularly hosts exciting attractions, including professional sports, college hockey, concerts, circuses, and even Disney on Ice shows. The People Mover stops at its door, so concert goers can park elsewhere downtown and reach the arena quickly. The Foo Fighters are set to rock Joe Louis Arena in 2008. Def Leppard with REO Speedwagon and Styx will also make an appearance here and later in the year, Rush makes a stop at Joe Louis during their extended Snakes & Arrows World Tour.
Cobo Arena
Situated near the Detroit River, the Cobo Arena is one of Michigan's finest event sites, entertaining national and international audiences for over four decades. While the Detroit Basketball Championships are held here, so are some of the greatest rock and roll concerts in the world - Slipknot, Madonna and KISS, to name a few. Contemporary bands such as Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Bush, Oasis, Blink 182, and the Goo Goo Dolls, as well as seasoned veterans like Bob Dylan play here. Cobo hosts several sporting and civic events, rallies, gatherings, and location shoots.
DTE Energy Music Theatre
Originally known as the Pine Knob Music Theatre, due to its proximity to the nearby Pine Knob ski area and golf course, the DTE Energy Music Theatre was renamed in 2001 when DTE Energy purchased the area's premiere outdoor amphitheater. Despite this change, many people still continue to call the venue "Pine Knob" or "the knob." Many of music's greatest stars have performed at the theater, including Chicago and Eddie Money. The Detroit venue is also on some of the biggest tours of the summer concert season, including Ozzfest, Gigantour, and Reggae Sunsplash. Canadian power-trio Rush have regarded the DTE as their favorite venue to play in the United States. The blockbuster Police tour makes its stop at the DTE in the summer of 2008. Tim McGraw and Gingantour with Megadeath are also scheduled to appear during the May to September concert season.
Meadow Brook Music Festival
Located at Oakland University, the Meadow Brook Music Festival accommodates up to 8,000 in the expansive outdoor pavilion and lawn seating area. The Meadow Brook Music Festival is the official summer home of the renowned Detroit Symphony Orchestra, in addition to being one of the top concert venues in Michigan, showcasing the musical talents of James Taylor and His Band of Legends in 2008.
Palace of Auburn Hills
Detroit's premier auditorium-style concert venue is often referred to simply as the Palace, and is home of the Detroit Pistons and hosts numerous concerts and special events throughout the year. Some of the venue's past big-name entertainers include Sting, David Lee Roth, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. In early 2008, the Spice Girls performed at the Palace as part of their reunion tour The Return of the Spice Girls to a sold-out crowd. The 2008 season also includes Avril Lavigne, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Santana, Kanye West, Tom Petty, and Celine Dion.
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1914, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is one of the United States' most prestigious and accessible orchestras. In 2003, it launched the Max M. Fisher Music Center, a performing arts complex, which has become a popular venue for musical concerts of various genres, including some of the most popular jazz concerts in town. The Max houses the famous Orchestra Hall, the Music Box, Atrium, and Allesee Hall. Excellent acoustics and state-of-the-art facilities make every performance memorable. The Max also has facilities to host conferences, private concerts, banquets and weddings. The Chieftans, Ireland's musical ambassadors, make their appearance at the Fisher in 2008, as well as five-time Academy award-winner John Williams, followed by New Orleans Jazz and the Mambo Kings.
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