Wyandotte — An independent live music venue with crisp sound, clean bathrooms and a calendar full of diverse entertainment is filling a major void in the Downriver entertainment scene.
District 142, named after its address on Maple Street in downtown Wyandotte, the 850-capacity club is attracting locals and music fans from all around the region to hear tribute bands, up-and-coming groups from the area and touring acts from the hair metal glory days.
“It’s something Downriver has needed for a long time,” said concertgoer Dennis Lang of Southgate. “We’ve been here over a dozen times and they’ve always delivered.
“It’s a good time,” said Cindy Lang. “Everybody is down to earth. There’s no troubles.”
They were hanging out at District 142 with their friends James and Ann Catron of Brownstown Township on a recent Saturday night, catching a double set by a pair of Chicago-based tribute bands performing the music of Creed and Godsmack.
“There’s not a bad seat in the house, drinks are reasonably priced,” added James. Big cans of beer start at $7 and a shot of Jagermeister is $10. Guests can get a double Jameson and Coke, for example, for around $15.
Once entering the front doors, music fans will see the bands’ merch booths in a small lobby, then head up to the balcony (if it’s a big enough show) or walk into the main floor area.
There are some tables and chairs around the perimeter of the floor for those who would rather sit than stand for a whole concert. The entire venue is accessible, too, including an elevator to the second level.
“From beginning to end, the experience, especially from the bands’ perspective, has been fantastic. The door folks, the sound guys, it’s pretty affordable, very on point … very through, very professional,” said Kris Hall, guitarist of area band Concrete Angels, who opened up for the CreedSmack tribute act earlier this month.
“It’s a breath of fresh air in the Detroit music scene,” he said.
“It’s electric … contagious,” added drummer Rodney Bies.
A big part of the reason for District 142’s success is that the people behind it have years of experience in the industry and are familiar with the Downriver communities.
“There was a need. A building came about in downtown Wyandotte, and we looked at it, and we knew it needed major renovation, but we had the vision,” said co-owner Julie Law. “So we said, let’s do it and make it a music venue.”
Law has years of experience in the radio industry, and her company, 360 Event Production, has also staged several festivals in the area. She’s partnered with hospitality veteran and restaurateur Joshua Cade for the venue.
At first, Law and Cade thought District 142 might be used for concerts half the time and private event rentals the other half of the time. They underestimated the thirst for music this area has, though.
“The love for the live music has just been overwhelming,” she said. “So the majority of everything we do is live-music related.”
Country music in particular has been a hit with audiences, says Law, but they also host rock bands, pop metal groups from the 1980s and touring tribute acts that span all kinds of genres.
Among the sold-out shows coming up are Emily Ann Roberts from “The Voice” on June 18 and a 2000s-era throwback tour featuring Chris Kirkpatrick, O-Town, BBMAK, Ryan Cabrera and LFO in July.
Law says they can also attract those beyond Downriver because of how nice downtown Wyandotte is.
“It’s walkable, safe, there’s free parking,” she said. “There are 1,300 free parking spots all over downtown. You have 20 bars and restaurants, too.”
At a time when major concert tours are making headlines for “blue dot fever,” (a lack of ticket sales) and entertainment monopolies are dominating the industry, an independently owned venue may be the relief music fans need.
“We are independent and we’re just trying to make sure we’re still affordable to everyone,” says Law.
mbaetens@detroitnews.com
District 142
142 Maple, Wyandotte
district142live.com
Select upcoming shows:
Crackjaw, May 30
Taylorville, June 6 (two shows)
Tom Keifer of Cinderella, June 7
Tyler Hilton and Kate Voegele, June 10
A Flock of Seagulls, June 13
Emily Ann Aroberts, June 18
Southern Accents – The Ultimate Tom Petty Experience, June 20
Yachtley Crew, June 30 and Aug. 29
Tab Benoit, July 16
L.A. Guns, July 17
Here Come the Mummies, July 19
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Music venue District 142 brightens Downriver’s entertainment scene
Reporting by Melody Baetens, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
