  Dan Member Username: Dan Post Number: 1433 Registered: 10-2003 |
Fellow Forumers, I wanted to extend an invitation to all the great people on this forum to a grand opening of a new concert venue/club, called The Crofoot. My dad and I and a great team have spent the last two years restoring, and converting three historic buildings into a new stage for metro Detroit. The Crofoot is an historic redevelopment at Pontiac's first commercial corner at Pike Street and Saginaw. The Crofoot was built in 1830. It survived the fires of 1840, which burned down all of Saginaw Street north of Pike. It survived the mania of Urban Renewal in the '60s and '70s, which demolished 7 blocks south of Saginaw. It survived the condemnation and scheduling for demolition in 2005. Today the Crofoot has a ballroom for a thousand guests with a large versatile stage and a half million dollar McCauley sound system; a cool patio with a grill; a smaller concert room for 250 called the Pike Room; the Crofoot Café and Vernors Grill. Soon we will be open for lunch, and before & after events. We are proud to present this wonderful building from the past, restored for another century of use. We are proud to share this moment with you, and hope you can participate. The Crofoot has been redeveloped and will be run by a team made of many of the same people who have restored the grand old buildings which we have loved to visit for the music we cherish - Saint Andrews, Industry Night Club in the Eagle Theatre, the 7th House, & Clutch Cargos. Our team includes Blair and Dan Mc Gowan - development; Nancy Mohlman - queen; Nathan Vestal - general management; Greg Baise - promotions and talent; Rob Lindsay - management; Tom Zito - music programming; Chef Paul Winton; Vince "the Welder" Waldrop; Chris Panachia & Bill Kozy - sound engineering; Joe Novitsky and Michael J. Mc Cleer - architects; Patt Slack - interior décor & artist coordination; Andy Pettress - money guy; and Mark McGowan - historic credits and legal. Now for the fun! Find out more at www.thecrofoot.com All are invited. And as I said its free. http://metromodemedia.com/devn ews/Crofoot0033.aspx http://www.detnews.com:80/apps /pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2007090 1/METRO/709010373/1009/METRO02 | ||
Yaktown Member Username: Yaktown Post Number: 218 Registered: 02-2006 |
I pass by this place everyday on my way home from work. What is the date of this free grand opening? Also, is this the same building as JD's Key Club? | ||
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv Post Number: 10 Registered: 08-2007 |
Thanks for the heads up. I'm looking forward to checking it out. Greg Baise has brought some great talent thru the Magic Stick/Majestic and I'm sure he'll do the same at the Crofoot. Looks like it will be a first class setting for the musicians and the audience. Good luck with the new venture. | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 579 Registered: 11-2005 |
Look forward to it Dan I would love to make it. I have known the Maldoons forever, and the dirtbombs are great! | ||
Yaktown Member Username: Yaktown Post Number: 220 Registered: 02-2006 |
OK, I just read thru all the links. This was the building that had the ghosted New Era potato chips ad on it, correct? I think there was also another ghosty Roman Bleach ad. What is the dress code for opening night? | ||
Dan Member Username: Dan Post Number: 1434 Registered: 10-2003 |
Yaktown it is across the street from JD's. The three buildings on the South East corner. | ||
Valkyrias Member Username: Valkyrias Post Number: 484 Registered: 02-2005 |
i just heard about it on the radio today and wondered where it was...so it's not where industry/have a nice day cafe/space was? and not to threadjack, but is there anything in that building these days or is it vacant? | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 386 Registered: 11-2003 |
Yaktown, you must be blind when you pass it everyday. Go check it out. This is the Moose Building former owners new place. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 9973 Registered: 10-2003 |
Sweet, there is going to be shows at the Moose lodge.  | ||
Dannaroo Member Username: Dannaroo Post Number: 154 Registered: 05-2006 |
While I wont be there for the Grand Opening, I've already got tickets to the Hold Steady/Art Brut, Girl Talk, Deerhoof, and the Besnard Lakes. I love how this place just came out kicking with some great shows scheduled and I look forward to checking it out! Good luck to you Dan and the rest of the Crofoot team! | ||
Billk Member Username: Billk Post Number: 108 Registered: 09-2005 |
How come this guy can own the Moose Lodge for 10 years while it rots, then when he sells it, it takes him a couple months to open a place in Pontiac? | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1800 Registered: 05-2005 |
why would i want to drive to pontiac, when i can get the rock here? (Message edited by gravitymachine on September 06, 2007) | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 387 Registered: 11-2003 |
I think it was a lot more than a couple of months work to open this place up. | ||
Xd_brklyn Member Username: Xd_brklyn Post Number: 297 Registered: 10-2003 |
Dan, congrats on the club and the great schedule. Pontiac seems faraway to someone who rarely ventures past 14 Mile Road, but I'll have to make a visit when I'm in town. With that sound system, I'm sure it will be one of the better venues in the metro area. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 2388 Registered: 06-2004 |
quote: Nice. | ||
Dan Member Username: Dan Post Number: 1435 Registered: 10-2003 |
We spent more then two years working on this building, and it sits in a neighborhood that is not in constant flux due to speculation about a new arena. My family invested a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and money in the city of Detroit, don’t even start with the bullshit city suburb debate. The moose is not going anywhere, and we have not ignored Detroit. Don’t make a positive thread negative. Come see a free show, in a great old building that will stand another 100 years do to our efforts. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 2222 Registered: 10-2003 |
Best of luck Dan! | ||
J_stone Member Username: J_stone Post Number: 390 Registered: 10-2003 |
So the McGowan's are out of Detroit? What happened to St. Andrews? It's too bad. I remember way back, hearing Blair talk about how one day the Moose Lodge would be restored, but now Illitch has it and it's only a matter of time before he blast's it to the ground. Now you guys are trying to take the music scene from Detroit? It's like 30 miles away! That whole psuedo/fabricated urbanization of places like Pontiac and more so Royal Oak is just plain weird to me. It's like if you really want to have lofts, restaurant, bars, stores, bakeries etc..(city living), why not put your efforts into the REAL thing? I guess I wish you opened up a club like The Crofoot downtown and that I'm sorry to see you go. Pontiac is too far for me, and those O.C. Cop's are brutal. Good Luck to you though. | ||
Dan Member Username: Dan Post Number: 1436 Registered: 10-2003 |
We are not out of Detroit, have no fear. We are more interested than ever, but perhaps in a different direction. As for Pontiac being "psuedo" urban, I think not. It's not the urban mecca Detroit is, but Pontiac is certainly urban. I love Pontiac, but my heart is with Detroit. Thanks for the kind words. I hope you can make it up someday. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 896 Registered: 11-2005 |
Thanks for saving a true gem, Dan! Now only if there were more of you who'd save Detroit's gems, too. | ||
Pam Member Username: Pam Post Number: 2540 Registered: 11-2005 |
Greg Baise is on Fox 2 News this morning giving a tour of the club. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 873 Registered: 01-2007 |
Dan, the best of luck in your venture. Looks like you poured your soul into this project. Thanks for the invite, I'll see you there. P.S. Can we get the map coordinates? | ||
Rugbyman Member Username: Rugbyman Post Number: 122 Registered: 06-2005 |
I went to the club last night for night two of the grand opening and let me tell you- that is one beautiful club. The first thing that struck me was just how big the place is. I'm not talking huge like a massive warehouse, but rather there are multiple rooms in the two story building. It's clear they've spared no expense in any aspect of restoration. I'd recommend checking it out to anyone interested in a fun night out. They spin alternative in "the big room" and have an electronic set in the "Pike Room" upstairs. Apparently they're putting in a kitchen that'll be open in a month or so. |
