Summer Music Events in Detroit: A True Music City

Detroit is most definitely a city in love with music. Whether you are a fan of motown, country, techno, jazz, or rock & roll, Detroit has you covered with it's many music festivals offered throughout the Summer months.

Detroit has it's roots in R&B with it's many popular Motown artists including Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and Aretha Franklin being born and raised in the city. Besides the popular Motown artists Detroit is also home to the well known Gospel Winans family, including the brother and sister group BeBe and CeCe Winans. Detroit has also given rise to other famous musicians including Madonna, Eminem, Kid Rock, Josh Gracin, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper and The White Stripes.

With such a variety of musical genres represented by the musicians who had their starts in Detroit, the summer music festivals and concerts offered in the city showcase many genres as well.

Detroit's musical summer begins in mid-May with the Hoedown hosted every year in downtown Detroit's Hart Plaza. The Hoedown boasts performances by local as well as national artists. The 2009 Hoedown offered performances by national artists Lee Ann Womack, Willie Nelson, and Jessica Andrews.

The Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) is scheduled for Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-25 2009 this year. The festival is scheduled to kick off with a special concert performed by The Prodigy at The Fillmore, previously known as The State Theatre, on Friday, May 22nd. Performing throughout the weekend are artists such as Frankie Vega, Flying Lotus, and Octave One. The festival will also showcase DJ's Omega, Slugo, and Godfather. Except for the kick-off party hosted at The Fillmore on May 22nd the remainder of the festivals performances take place in Detroit's Hart Plaza located at Detroit's Riverfront.

Detroit's next music festival is Detroit's International Jazz Festival. The Jazz Festival is held annually during Labor Day weekend. This year will be the festivals 30th. A few musicians scheduled to appear at this year's festival taking place September 4-7th are Sheila Jordan, Clayton Brothers, Christian McBride, and Wayne Shorter. As with the Hoedown and the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, the International Jazz Festival will also take place in Detroit's Hart Plaza.

Also held during Labor Day Weekend is the Arts, Beats, and Eats festival in Pontiac, Michigan which is a 45 minute drive north from Detroit. The musical acts appearing this year have not yet been announced, but some of the notable acts from 2008 were: Blues Traveler, Rusted Root, Willie Nash, Chaka Khan, and Loverboy.

So, no matter your musical tastes if you live in or are planning on visiting Detroit during the summer of 2009 you should be able to find a performance to satisfy your musical hunger.