Every Detroiter has a tale about the Michigan Central Station. Their grandparents arrived in the city there; a relative worked there; and they snuck in for some urban exploration or went to an illegal rave there during the city’s dark days of the late twentieth century, after the station ceased operation and fell into ruin, a Beaux-Arts urban relic that had seen every era of modern Detroit.’
However, six years ago, the Ford Motor Company opted to conserve the building, and today, after years of meticulous reconstruction and restoration, it has reopened as a ‘innovation hub.’ In theory, the performance commemorates the station’s resurrection.
The performance featured performers from every era and genre of music generated in the city, clearly demonstrating their point: Motown, rock, hip-hop, techno, garage, punk, gospel, jazz, and even the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performed. It’s impossible to be a musician in Detroit without being acutely aware of everything that came before you. The event was a near-perfect example of that mindset.
Here are a few glimpses from that grand event:
1. Kierra Sheard
Kierra Sheard performs during ‘Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central’ in Detroit.
2. Young RJ And T3
Slum Village members Young RJ, left, and T3, perform during ‘Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central’ in Detroit.
3. Melissa Etheridge, Fantasia And Jelly Roll
Melissa Etheridge from left, Fantasia, and Jelly Roll perform during ‘Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central’ in Detroit.
4. Jack White
Jack White performs during ‘Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central’ in Detroit.
5. Fantasia
Fantasia performs during ‘Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central’ in Detroit.
6. Big Sean
Rapper Big Sean performs during ‘Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central’ in Detroit.
7. Diana Ross
Diana Ross performs during ‘Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central’ in Detroit.
8. Young RJ And T3
Slum Village members Young RJ, left, and T3, pose before being honored by the Michigan Central Station in Detroit.
9. Eminem
Eminem performs during ‘Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central’ in Detroit.
