Detroit Says Farewell to the Magic Stick

Last night marked the last show at the Magic Stick as we know it. The lineup included Tigers Jaw, Lemuria and Somos, and appropriately, it was brought to us by the ladies at Black Iris Booking. The venue was packed wall to wall and the crowd was full of many young fans as well as some older ones. Although most of the concert goers were actually there as fans of Tigers Jaw or Lemuria, there were a few (like myself) that just wanted to catch the last show at this venue.

Oddly enough, so many changes have already been made to the space, that it doesn't feel quite the same as before. There's a new bar, which was being used at the merch booth for the night. The bathrooms are gone and being made larger, and we all know by now that the stage is way larger than it was before. Luckily, the regular bar was still in place for the time being, although it has been stripped of its stickers, flyers, and memorabilia.

All of the bands played solid sets last night, especially Tigers Jaw who had fans crowd surfing and singing along throughout their set. It seemed like most everyone that we bumped into was most stoked about Lemuria. The Buffalo, NY trio is out on tour in support of their latest release, The Distance is So Big. You can check that out here.

With the Magic Stick basically being the home base for Black Iris Booking for the last several years, many have been questioning whether the team will continue booking shows and where they will be holding them. Rest assured, these ladies still plan to bring amazing live music to the Detroit area, with shows at numerous venues, including but not limited to Small's, Zeke's Rock & Roll BBQ, the Majestic, the Majestic Cafe, St. Andrew's & The Shelter, and even The Loving Touch. As for the Magic Stick, we say RIP, old friend. You shall live out the rest of your days under the name Populux, in a world full of bass and electronic beats.

~C