One of the very, very first things we did in Detroit was go to the Auto Show. It's full of crazy people, cars that are just plain mad, and lots of people trying to sell you lots of things. Some cars are so expensive as to be roped off, some are fully hands on. The year we went, the Ford display included the robots that build the cars which was bittersweet since so many in the Motor City had suddenly discovered themselves out of work because the Big Three were in deep trouble. Jon and I were so broke that year that one of his friend's mom's gave us the tickets (she'd been given them) and we only paid for parking in one of those maze-like and tomb-like parking structures that inevitably always smell like pee.
We went to see Jack White live, playing in his hometown. The White Stripes were defunct by then, but he was touring with a new band, The Dead Weather. Nothing as loud as Jack White playing Detroit, Michigan at The Fillmore. My left ear is still the worse for the wear. Really. Never been to a louder show. Even Jon, who has been to many, many shows says that show was the absolute loudest he had ever attended.
A few years later, we had the luck to see Cage the Elephant live at St. Andrew's Hall. Lots of important bands have played there in their early years, and not so early years. Including Nirvana. Nirvana's Setlist at St. Andrew's Hall 1991 (according to others). I wish I had been older than 12. That would have been a show to remember. It's a wonderful venue. Small, intimate with plenty of room and a rather cheap bar with Michigan micro brews and lots of other beer on tap. They don't even search patrons for contraband. Awesomeness. Cage the Elephant tickets were just $14 a piece that tour. We did have to suffer through several terrible Emo bands because St. Andrew's has a no re-admittance policy, but it was well worth it. Two years later, we saw Cage the Elephant again, this time at The Fillmore with another terrible band, Manchester Orchestra. The price of admission had doubled, but the show was still raw, rough and spectacular. A regular 90s style grunge type show. Wild, unabashed and tons of fun. Lots of shocked Emo kids kept repeating how "hardcore" their set was. Ummm...not hardcore...an ACTUAL rock show with a non-lame band. That's what it's all about.
My favorite building in the Detroit skyline, Michigan Central Station. It's sad to see it, but beautiful just the same. Ghostly. Beautiful. Still there. Makes me want to break in and experience the grandeur of the interior for myself...or win a trillion dollars and make it all better. Here is the history .
Outside
The Detroit Zoo. Quite nice with the absolute best architecture of any zoo I've ever visited. The Aviary is lovely, inside and outside. The zoo was going to be on the chopping block in 2006 and some of the animals were relocated to other zoos, but the people of Detroit caused such a backlash that legislators had to turn the operations of the zoo over to a private company. Good choice.
Belle Isle. A place I only recently discovered because a group of volunteers, operating solely on donations, have re-opened the oldest aquarium in the United States. All the tanks are not yet full, but wonderful things are happening...next door, the Conservatory is also wonderful. Both were designed by architect Albert Kahn. Detroit was the place to be way back in the 1900s. I would have loved have seen it before all the decline.
As this is a half-finished post and I have lost the mood and thus far can't continue, I am going to post it anyway.
Basically some very awesome things are in Detroit, cesspool that it has become. Wish I could travel back in time and see it in the mid 30s.
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