Following the announcement that long-standing rock ’n’ roll venue PJ’s Lager House is being sold, owner PJ Ryder has announced an “End of an Era” series of free concerts.
In a statement, Ryder says:
It is with extremely mixed emotions that I am announcing our THE END OF AN ERA FREE CONCERT SERIES! We are planning a series of concerts to salute the musicians and thank the patrons of PJ’s Lager House for 15 great years of music and love. Having a place where musicians of all types could perform their original music is an experience that I will never be able to duplicate! All I can say is thank you to everyone who has supported us through thick and thin. Thank you to my wife Donna for letting me get away with this! I think PJ’s is going to grow in the next number of years and all I can say is watch this space. Again thank you to patrons, friends, musician and everyone who has kept us going all these years.
The shows are slated for Friday, Aug. 26, Sunday, Aug. 28, and Tuesday, Sept. 13.
The Friday, Aug. 26 bill features five bands — Timmy’s Organism, the Cheetahs, the Chris Casselo Trio, the Firewalkers, and the Vibrations. The show starts at 7 p.m.
The Sunday, Aug. 28 bill features soul singer Melvin Davis, who is celebrating his 80th birthday. The New Orleans-inspired Gabriel Brass Band is also on the bill. The show also starts at 7 p.m.
The lineup for the Sept. 13 show has not yet been announced.
Last month, Ryder announced that he was working toward selling the business to the owner of the next-door building that houses the James Oliver Coffee Co. He did not disclose a sale price, though in 2019 he listed the building for sale for $2.2 million, citing the changing nature of the Corktown neighborhood. Ryder says he believes the new owners will operate the business similar to the way he did, as a rock venue with a kitchen that serves brunch on the weekends.
He said he expects the sale to become final by the end of September.
PJ’s Lager House is located at 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; pjslagerhouse.com.
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