Grande Ballroom
Ron Asheton at the Grande Ballroom, 1970.
If you’re from Detroit and you don’t know the Grande, you should do yourself a favor and get hip to the history of this counterculture hub. Dubbed the "hippie capitalist center of Detroit," the Grande became a breeding ground for the Detroit hard rock scene during the 1960s. With house bands such as MC5 and Iggy Pop and the Stooges, every night at the Grande was a guaranteed shit show of high-energy, heavy rock. The Grande Ballroom even attracted artists such as Cream, The Grateful Dead, and the Who. It was here that the MC5 recorded their debut album, Kick Out The Jams, which became one of the most highly regarded live rock albums of all time. Unfortunately, in 1972 the Grande Ballroom closed its doors to the public and hasn’t been open since its heydey almost 50 years ago. But the spirit of the Grande still lives on, and you can hear it in lead singer Rob Tyner’s voice when he announces: “It's time to... kick out the jams, motherfuckers!”
