Our dear friend and bassist extraordinaire Dave decided to show us west coast people how they do weddings in the original rock city by taking the party back to his hometown of Detroit.
A swirl of different concepts rushed into my head at the prospect of this. Along with Detroit’s iconic Woodward Blvd, where late 60s big block monsters tore up the pavement back when gas was 30 cents a gallon, I also remembered that this was the home of the Grande Ballroom on Grand River Blvd. Built in the 20s as, well, a ballroom for dancing, it was later resurrected in the late 60s as a rock venue, and became the home for many local acts, including proto-punk Satanists the Mc5 and, of course, The Stooges.
This is what the Grande Ballroom looked like in 1928:

Into the 1940s, in became an institution for swingin’ big bands and boasted “one of the largest polished hardwood dance floors in the country.” (Detroit News)
Then in the 1960s, things changed a bit. I’ll let Wikipedia explain:
“In 1966 the Grande was acquired by Dearborn, Michigan high school teacher and local radio DJ Russ Gibb. Gibb was inspired by visiting the San Francisco Fillmore Theater, and envisioned a similar venue in Detroit for the new psychedelic music and a resource for local teenagers. Gibb worked closely with Detroit counterculture figure John Sinclair in bringing in bands, both from San Francisco and harder-edged psychedelic rock bands gathering around Detroit’s Plum Street community. National and international acts of this period included Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Alice Cooper, Cream and The Who. The MC5 and The Stooges served as house bands, assuring weekly performances. The Grande also featured the avant garde jazz of John Coltrane and Sun Ra.
Performances of this period were frequently advertised by the distinctive psychedelic handbills of Gary Grimshaw. The Grande’s rock’n'roll counter cultural experience was extensively documented by Detroit photographer Leni Sinclair.”

The legendary Mc5 record, Kick Out The Jams was recorded during a live performance at the Grande Ballroom in 1968.

Grande re-opening in 1966.

Cream @ The Grande circa 1967

Ron Asheton of the Stooges @ The Grande Ballroom, 1969

However, by the early 70s, due to competition and financial problems, the Grande Ballroom closed its doors to the public and fell into disrepair. This is how it stands today:

Bottom floor of the Grande Ballroom as it stands in 2007.

2nd Floor, Main Stage.

One last gasp. Along with CBGBs, punk rock’s heritage fades into history at the mercy of commerce.

And now, next to my SG sits a 12 inch chunk of stage molding from an era where loud amps, tire smoke, and depravity were staples in the diet of angry young men across the country.  So long Grande Ballroom.

(Incidentally, I’d like to thank the fine men and women of the Detroit Police Department for choosing not to haul my trespassing ass to jail an hour before my flight home. Haha!)