Guess Who's Ready to Rock the Riverfront This Friday???

That's right, it's The Guess Who!

The legendary band will take the stage this Friday from 8-10 p.m. in downtown Detroit for the continuation of the FREE GM Rockin' on the Riverfront concert series.

Everbody knows a Guess Who song... From “American Woman,” to “These Eyes,” “No Sugar Tonight,” "Shakin' All Over" and "Share The Land," there's a hit fit for all classic rock musical tastes.

Here's some fun facts we dug up regarding The Guess Who in Hollywood:

• "Undun" is heard briefly in the movie Jackie Brown, although it doesn't appear on the film's soundtrack.
• "No Time" plays during the student riot scene in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley.
• "Glamour Boy" is heard in Don McKellar's Last Night.
• "American Woman" is used in the film American Beauty.
• A karaoke version of "American Woman" is sung in The Cable Guy.
• Both the Lenny Kravitz and The Guess Who's versions of "American Woman" are in the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

We can't wait to hear them live -- they ROCK! As always, feel free to contact us at rockinontheriverfront@gmail.com with any concert questions.

- Dowtown Detroit Diva

Classic Rock All Stars -- Oh, What a Night!

A special shout out to Radenko of Windsor who just may be the Classic Rock All Stars biggest fan! He was able to enjoy front row seats and sent us some photos from the concert.

A few of the Classic Rock All Stars jamming on the GM Riverfront stage
Classic Rock All Star drummer Peter Rivera with Radenko

We're so happy you had fun, Radenko!

We send you some Detroit love.

Classic Rock All Stars, Rick Derringer - THIS FRIDAY!

Alright Rockin' on the Riverfront fans -- we're approaching the midway point of the FREE classic rock concert series. So if you haven't made it down to the Riverfront yet, you better mark down the remaining concerts in your calendar!

The fourth concert in the ROR series is this Friday, July 25 featuring the Classic Rock All Stars and Rick Derringer. The Classic Rock All Stars have been touring together since 1990 and include the following rockers:

• Jerry Corbetta is the founder, keyboardist and former lead singer of Sugarloaf – a ’70s band that hit it big with the song "Green-Eyed Lady.”
• Peter Rivera is the former singer and drummer for the ’70s group Rare Earth whose songs "Get Ready" and "I Just Wanna Celebrate” propelled the band to fame.
• Mike Pinera is known for his role as lead singer and guitarist for Blues Image and Iron Butterfly. He is known for his song "Ride Captain Ride" (Blues Image) and “In a Gadda Da Vida" (Iron Butterfly).
• Dennis Noda is a bass guitarist known for his funky style and work with Cannibal & the Headhunters, a band that struck international acclaim with their hit "Land of a Thousand Dances."

Rick Derringer headlines the concert and is best known for his big hits, "Hang on Sloopy" (performed with his former band, The McCoys) and "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo." A seasoned musical veteran, Derringer has recorded four blues CDs, numerous jazz hits and has produced and written albums for the World Wrestling Federation.

The Classic Rock All Stars will take the stage at 8 p.m., followed by Rick Derringer.

Don't forget how easy it is to park downtown. And, if you're coming from outside of D-town or just don't want to deal with the hassle of driving home late, check out the Ren Cen Marriott's special ROR room package starting at $149. Be sure to listen to 94.7 WCSX-FM starting at 2 p.m. on Friday for interviews with the band and all the up-to-the-minute concert details.

Questions, comments, suggestions? E-mail us at rockinontheriverfront@gmail.com.

-Motor City Mama

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!

It's A Beautiful Night in Detroit

As of 5:30 p.m., the crowd was starting to stake out

spots to hear the music along the riverfront.

Kids playing in the fountain in back of the stage

It's going to be a wonderful night to rock out with Mark and Mitch!

Shop, Dine, Play and Stay at the Ren Cen Friday Nights

To ensure the best concert seating arrangements for any of the Rockin' shows, make sure to get to the riverfront as early as possible to set up camp.

To do this, we always recomend to people to make the Ren Cen your desitination for a whole night out on the town -- afterall, the concert is free and there are so many neat things to do (like take a tour, shop or eat!), so bring a group of friends so some can hang in the seats while the others check out what this sweet Detroit icon has to offer.

Prime example: To gear up for Mark and Mitch coming to rock Detroit on Friday, we decided to check out Pure Detroit in the Ren Cen for some cool motor city inspired concert gear. Here's some of our favorite finds:

313 - The best area code for rock in the midwest!

Fitted Hat - $24

Detroit Soul, Detroit Funk...Whatever way you put it, Pure Detroit's got it!

T-Shirts - $24

Detroit Mugs - $8.99

Pure Detroit is located in Tower 400 on Level 1 in the Ren Cen (across from Allegra Print & Imaging). The store specializes in Detroit and GM-themed apparel, bags, purses and glassware and is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

For more information on Ren Cen Shops and resturants, please visit www.gmrencen.com.