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
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