This is obviously not a complete list of clubs that offer original live music in Detroit, but it covers most of the places that you are likely to see any of the local high-energy artists that are playing in town. These opinions are all mine and pretty much just reflect my personal feelings of what type of places are fun to hang out in. For up-to-date listings just follow the links to the club's own web sites (if they have them) or check the Metro Times or Real Detroit.
(Lili's closed on September 30, 2002)
This is patron saint of all clubs featuring live, original music in the Detroit area. It's been open since the late 1970's (as far as I remember) and has never changed its policy of having live bands there every weekend. It's located in Hamtramck on Jacob near Jos. Campau, a few blocks south of Holbrook. Parking is available on the street and several parking lots near Campau. The music varies, bur tends to stay away from the 'punk rawk" sound and showcases a lot of "alternative" sounding (for lack of a better term) bands. This is the place that the Romantics and Mutants and a whole host of other bands got their start and even the Clash had to make a stop here. There's seating available and it's a relatively good way to introduce your less-adventuresome friends to the local scene.
This is another old veteran of the Hamtramck live music scene. It’s located on Caniff, just east of Jos Campau and parking can usually be found on the street and in the parking lot on Caniff. At one point this was the place to see live music as a whole host of bands including the Butthole Surfers, Angelic Upstarts, Gun Club, 10 Maniacs and the like played here. Lately the music booking has been fairly inconsistent with an emphasis on the local hardcore rap/metal sound. It is definitely the place to be during the Hamtramck Blowout and the owner, Paycheck, is always willing to share a few stories with you. They usually start off with: "You should have been here last night…..".
This venerable downtown club is the premier place to watch the national bands that come through Detroit. It is located on East Congress just west of I-75 and parking will usually be found at one of the nearby lots. This are gets pretty congested on weekends, so it's tough to find street parking. The hall is fairly large and the only place you can sit is on the balcony upstairs. This is probably the place where you (or at least your younger friends) saw their first punk show and found out that it's not a very good idea to get too close to the stage. I don't go here as much as I used to, as they really don't book as much punk as they once did. The downstairs room is known as the Shelter and it has a separate entrance in back. This place is a lot more fun and books all sorts of all-ages shows. One of my favorite times here was a chance to see L7 upstairs in St. Andrew's and the Groovy Ghoulies downstairs in one fun evening.
(Unfortunately, the Gold Dollar closed on 8/18/2001)
This is one of my favorite places in town to see a band. Located in the heart of the Cass Corridor, you can always find parking either in the lot or on the street. This place is tiny and there are several tables and a few chairs. Usually, people are piled in anywhere and many are known to sit on the bar trying to see the band. They book all sorts of cool bands, both local, and from around the country and provide the best entertainment value for the dollar in town. Drinks are cheap and most of my fondest memories of shows from the last years involve a visit to the Gold Dollar (The Onya's and Easy Action/Paybacks stand out !!!). This is the place where you take somebody if you want to show him or her the real Detroit !!!!
The Magic Stick is located on Woodward near the medical center as part of the Majestic Theater complex. It is upstairs above the bowling alley and is pretty spacious. This place is also very dear to my heart; besides seeing the Bump-n-Uglies do their rock & wrestling shows here, I was also very privileged to see the Dictators, the Ghoul, the Clone Defects, the Murder City Wrecks as well as a host other great bands. Parking is hard to find, but there are several paid parking lots, including one across the street for easy access. I learned the hard way that parking on Woodward is not very safe, as my car was broken into during a Murder City Wrecks show. Luckily the thieves had no taste in music and left my precious tape collection alone.
The third member of the Cass/Woodward Holy Trinity of clubs, the Old Miami has been around forever. The interior décor contains couches, tables, chairs and host of military decorations that reflect it's popularity with veterans of the Vietnam War. Spend a little time at the bar reading some of the stickers on the walls and you'll see that Jane Fonda will probably not be paying a visit here soon. The booking policy at this place varies and you can never guess what kind of crowd is going to be there. There's a street parking as well as free lot across the street. This place is located north of the Gold Dollar and can also provide your musically challenged friends with an introduction to the real Detroit scene.
I put this place in rather reluctantly, but I suppose that I needed to include at least one club in so-called thriving Ferndale and Royal Oak corridor. These are the areas where the people that you want to avoid will tend to hang out. Lots of dance clubs, a few places like Bart's and the New Way Bar that book decent bands once in a while, but way too many trendy posers for me to stomach. However, the Magic Bag does book good shows, so they deserve the mental abuse that I endure going into Oakland County. The place is a former theater and has plenty of tables and chairs for those who want to sit. I prefer to wedge myself into the narrow aisles on the side and watch the bands. Parking is a real disaster here on weekends; you can usually find a free lot somewhere, but it won't be easy as there are numerous other clubs and bars in the area. There is a pretty heavy police presence around here also, so you might want to leave the Mustang GT spinouts for another time.
Recently the Lager House started hosting shows. This is a very historic place located just a couple of blocks south of Tiger Stadium on Michigan Avenue. For years this was one of those places that fans met before and after ballgames and watched some of those great Tiger teams of the past. Since the Tigers moved to Comerica Park, this neighborhood has lost many of its visitors, but maybe bringing live music down here will change that. There is plenty of parking on Michigan and in the lot behind the Lager House. When you walk into the Lager House you immediately get the comfortable feeling that is only found in these old bars in Detroit. The walls are still covered with Tiger memorabilia and the bands play in a separate room from the bar. All in all, it's a very cool place and will go a long way to replace the Gold Dollar for us.
The Third Street Saloon has also stepped up to the plate to replace the departed Gold Dollar. It's located in the Wayne State University area on the corner of Third and Forest. Parking is available on the street and in the dirt lot behind the club. During the day the Third Street Saloon is a typical burger & beer joint for the WSU crowd, but it has started hosting shows on weekends with some great bands such as the Murder City Wrecks, Buzzards and Clone Defects. It used to be hard to find out who was playing there, but I just noticed that they started advertising in Real Detroit last week, so this should no longer be a problem. In Detroit you've go to grab both of the free weekly entertainment papers as some clubs only advertise in one or the other. The Third Street Saloon usually charges a $5 cover and the bands play in the back (or actually side) room where the pool tables are located. The stage is pretty small, but that has never stopped anybody I know from playing there. I've always had a blast there and this place (along with the Lager House) sure has made the pain of the Gold Dollar's closing almost go away.
This real isn't a club per se; it's actually a microbrewery with some great tasting beer that is brewed right on-site. However, it's also near the home of the world-famous Ghetto Recorders and it has been hosting shows almost every Sunday night for the new eagerly-anticipated Ghettoblaster II compilation. The place is tiny and it's often hard to see the band, but the music and beer more than make up for any obstructed view seating. The brewery is located near the Cass Corridor on Canfield and there's a large fenced-in parking lot right in front of it. They've also a got a great web site with downloads of songs from the first Ghettoblaster CD and a bunch more info on the brewery and the studio.
This place has also been around for a very long time. It's opened and closed several times and the latest incarnation seems to be working just fine. Alvin's is located on Cass right in the Wayne State University campus near the I-94 freeway. This place is pretty big and actually has a real stage that makes it possible to see the band from anywhere in the place. Parking can usually be found right on the street and there's a couple of WSU parking lots not too far away. In terms of capacity Alvin's fits in neatly between the smaller venues like the Lager House and Old Miami and the cavernous Magic Stick. It's good to see Alvin's back in the live music business and hopefully they will be real successful with it.