🎤 Detroit's summer concert season is unleashed
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
The jam-packed summer concert season gets underway this holiday weekend after laying low the last couple years.
State of play: The concert industry is primed for a comeback and this summer has everything — outdoor festivals, stadium shows, venues with more intimate vibes and nostalgia acts.
- Live Nation Entertainment reports strong first-quarter ticket sales and sponsorship revenue as summer nears.
- "Concert fans are showing no signs of slowing down – they are paying more for the best tickets, attending the shows, and spending more onsite," the company's report reads.
Driving the news: Movement returns this weekend, with the music festival starting Saturday at Hart Plaza after a two-year hiatus.
- The event features more than 100 acts on six stages across three days. Here's the full schedule.
- Headliner Juan Atkins — considered a founder of Detroit techno — discussed his journey as a pioneer and upcoming performance with Detroit Metro Times.
Meanwhile, other festivals include Mo Pop in late July and the Detroit Jazz Festival over Labor Day weekend.
Between the lines: Metro Detroit offers several outdoor venues perfect for a breezy summer show, including:
- Pine Knob Music Theatre: Performances include Halsey, Dead & Company, The Doobie Brothers & Michael McDonald and Backstreet Boys.
- Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre: Jodeci, Average White Band, Burna Boy and others are on the slate.
- Comerica Park: Four shows take the field in July – Chris Stapleton, Billy Joel, Motley Crue & Def Leppard and Elton John. Plus, the Red Hot Chili Peppers play in August.
If you go: Make sure to check restrictions on what you can take into the venue. A handful of events at Pine Knob, Comerica and other venues under the 313 Presents company umbrella have vaccination requirements.
💭 Joe's thought bubble: Scanning Pine Knob's summer lineup brings back hazy memories of a young Joe piling into a bus with summer co-workers when the Smokin' Grooves festival blew through town about 20 years ago.
- Good times. Wish I remembered Outkast's performance better.