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Stateside Podcast: Should Detroit have a music district?

Detroit skyline at night
Detroit skyline at night.

For decades, Detroit has been a hub for music of all genres and has been recognized and appreciated around the world. From jazz to Motown to techno and hip hop, Detroit musicians are continuously at the forefront of their genres. So why doesn’t Detroit have a district dedicated to its music and artists?

“There are excellent clubs that are great. And I just think...we just need a district to really have a focus area, that can bring more attention to that," said Keith Owens, a contributing columnist for the Detroit Free Press. "Because these clubs, for all you know, are scattered everywhere in Detroit, Hamtramck, Metro Detroit, there’s a lot of clubs all over the place."

Owens recently wrote a piece on this topic for the Detroit Free Press. He believes that a central district for live music would provide another area for local Detroit musicians to showcase their music and would benefit the city of Detroit financially as well.

“And my people have been coming in and more will continue to come. And that brings benefits. I think it’s the concentration, again, I think that financial benefits come.”

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GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:

  • Keith Owens, local writer, and co-founder of Detroit Stories Quarterly and the We are Speaking substack newsletter and podcast
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Yesenia Zamora-Cardoso is a production assistant for Stateside.
Mike Blank is a producer and editor for Stateside.