Starship featuring Mickey Thomas Lit up the Detroit Riverfront

This past Friday's Rockin' on the Riverfront concert with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas was another smashing success! The weather was perfect, the crowd was impressive and Mickey and his pals did not fail to entertain. Here are a few photos for those of you that may have missed the concert:



I must say -- Stephanie Calvert has some AMAZING vocal chords! If anyone doubted that she could live up to vocal prowess Grace Slick, Friday's concert proved them wrong. That girl can SING! Mickey and Stephanie were the perfect complement to each other (especially during the ballad Nothing Gonna Stop us Now). If it wasn't for Stephanie's obviously young features, you wouldn't know that the duo hasn't been performing together for decades. Mickey and the rest of the band definitely rocked it like there was no tomorrow. The cheers, screams, chants and horn toots from the boats were countless!

Next up: Rick Derringer and the Classic Rock All Stars! They'll take center stage at 8 p.m. this Friday, July 25. Don't forget about all the other great amenities offered at the General Motors Renaissance Center. Shop, dine and rock out all night long!

- Motor City Mama

Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas Ready to Rock D-town This Friday

It's the third week of the General Motors Rockin' on the Riverfront summer concert series and the excitement continues to gain momentum! This week's rock jam fest is Starship featuring Mickey Thomas. Mickey Thomas is the owner of the soaring voice that propelled Starship (formerly known as Jefferson Starship before Mickey jumped on board) through the decades of the 80's and 90's. With his soulful and compelling vocals, Thomas has established himself as one of rock music’s most recognizable stars.

Some of the band's more recognizable and popular songs include We Built This City, Sara and the ballad Nothing Gonna Stop Us Now. Click the links for some classic, and rather entertaining, 80's music videos of these tunes!

We Built This City features Mickey Thomas and former band member Grace Slick on lead vocals, and the single version reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on November 16, 1985 and also number 12 in the United Kingdom.

So what the heck is the city referenced to in the song? According to Wikipedia, the city that the band is singing about in the album version of this song has been generally thought to be San Francisco, Calif. But according to Slick, it was actually written about early-1970s Los Angeles. Regardless, it's a great tune to rock out to -- and I'm it sure it will generate some fan excitement at this week's concert!

Don't forget how easy it is to park! Parking is available for $5 per vehicle at the GM surface lot at the intersection of St. Antoine and Atwater, adjacent to the GM Renaissance Center. Valet parking is also available at the GM Ren Cen North Lobby on Jefferson Avenue. And why not make a night out of your trip downtown? Special Rockin' on the Riverfront overnight packages are available at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center from $149. Visit the Detroit Marriott Web site or call 1-800-MARRIOTT.

- Motor City Mama

As always, send an e-mail to rockinontheriverfront@gmail.com with any additional questions/comments about the concerts. See ya on the Riverfront!