Concert halls & amphitheaters / Petosky-Otsego (Grand River at Beverly Ct)
Grande Ballroom
Closed – archive entry · 1972
A former dance hall and psychedelic rock hall on Grand River Avenue (built 1928, rock era 1966–1972), where the MC5 recorded “Kick Out the Jams.”
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The Grande was built in 1928 to a design by Charles N. Agree, with shops on the ground floor and a Moorish Deco dance hall upstairs used for jazz and big-band dancing. Promoter and teacher Russ Gibb, inspired by the West Coast rock halls, reopened it as a psychedelic rock hall on October 7, 1966; the MC5 were the house band and recorded “Kick Out the Jams” there on October 30–31, 1968, the Stooges, SRC, the Rationals and Ted Nugent played regularly, and touring acts included Cream, The Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, the Velvet Underground, Sun Ra and John Coltrane. The final show was on New Year's Eve 1972, and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December 2018.
- Moorish Deco dance hall from 1928
- MC5's “Kick Out the Jams,” 1968
- Russ Gibb's rock era, 1966–1972
Famous Detroiters
Famous people tied to this place 17
Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.
- Iggy Pop born 1947 · singer, songwriter
Performed here
Russ Gibb's rock ballroom, where the Stooges served as a house band alongside the MC5. Closed as a venue in 1972; the building stands empty.
- Ted Nugent born 1948 · guitarist, singer, songwriter
Performed here
Russ Gibb's psychedelic-era rock ballroom, where the Amboy Dukes were among the top local bands. Closed as a rock venue in 1972; the building stands empty and badly deteriorated.
- Ron Asheton 1948–2009 · guitarist, bassist, songwriter
Performed here
Russ Gibb's rock ballroom, where the Stooges, the MC5 and the Thyme served as house bands. Closed as a venue in 1972; the building stands vacant.
- Dave Alexander 1947–1975 · bassist, songwriter
Performed here
1928 dance hall that was Detroit's leading rock venue from 1966 to 1972 and home stage of the MC5 and the Stooges. Bought by Chapel Hill Missionary Baptist Church in 2006, the building stands empty and was listed for sale in 2023.
- Scott Asheton 1949–2014 · drummer
Performed here
The Stooges' first major show was here on March 3, 1968, billed as the Psychedelic Stooges. The building stands vacant and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Wayne Kramer 1948–2024 · guitarist, songwriter, producer
Performed here
The MC5 were the house band of Russ Gibb's rock hall and recorded Kick Out the Jams here in October 1968. The building stands vacant; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
- John Sinclair 1941–2024 · poet, activist, music manager, radio host
Worked here
He booked the MC5 as house band of this rock ballroom, where Kick Out the Jams was recorded in 1968; the building stands empty and deteriorating.
- Dick Wagner 1942–2014 · guitarist, songwriter
Recorded here
The Frost's 1969 concert here was released as Live at the Grande Ballroom. The building stands empty.
- Fred "Sonic" Smith 1948–1994 · guitarist, songwriter
Recorded here
The MC5's home stage, where Kick Out the Jams was recorded live in October 1968. The building stands empty.
- Rob Tyner 1944–1991 · singer
Recorded here
The MC5's home stage, where Kick Out the Jams was recorded live on October 30–31, 1968. Closed as a venue in 1972; the building stands empty.
- Michael Davis 1943–2012 · bassist
Performed here
The MC5's home stage, where Kick Out the Jams was recorded live on October 30–31, 1968. The building stands vacant.
- Dennis Thompson 1948–2024 · drummer
Performed here
The MC5's home stage, where Kick Out the Jams was recorded live in October 1968. The building stands vacant and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Leni Sinclair born 1940 · photographer, activist
Worked here
With Gary Grimshaw she ran the Magic Veil Light Company, which projected psychedelic light shows here from the 1966 opening.
- Gary Grimshaw 1946–2014 · graphic artist, rock poster designer, light-show artist
Worked here
He ran light shows here and designed the ballroom's first poster for its October 7, 1966, rock opening. The building stands empty.
- Jaan Uhelszki · music journalist, editor
Worked here
She sold soft drinks here as a teenager and saw the era's great rock acts; the building stands empty.
- Russ Gibb 1931–2019 · concert promoter, disc jockey, teacher
Founded
The 1928 Charles Agree dance hall he reopened as a rock ballroom from October 7, 1966, to December 31, 1972. A church bought the empty building in 2006.
- Scott Richardson ?–2025 · singer
Performed here
SRC was one of the ballroom's staple bands, opening for touring stars. The building stands empty.
Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-25
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
Events at this place
Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.
We have no published upcoming events linked to this place yet. That does not mean the venue has no events; check its official calendar too.
Source and former website ↗Keep exploring
Nightlife ↗
Concert halls & amphitheaters
Fox Theatre
The splendor of a 1928 movie palace, now home to major concerts and stage productions.
Concert halls & amphitheaters
Masonic Temple
A Gothic-scale Detroit landmark with towers, performance spaces, and concert nights inside a vast complex.
Concert halls & amphitheaters
The Fillmore Detroit
A former movie palace with contemporary concert energy on Woodward Avenue.