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One of the clear advantages of being in a scooter club is being part of the communal experience. That is, feeling part of the "in-crowd" where anything is possible and where fun and entertainment is the goal. Last evening, the Rovers Scooter Club met at the famous Magic Stick multi-purpose entertainment facility near Wayne State University in Detroit's Mid-town area. The purpose of the gathering was to complete our weekly meeting (natch), but to also preview the facility where the Friday night activities of our upcoming "Motor City Shakedown 5" rally will take place.
In case you've never experience the "Stick" or the "Majestic Theater Complex", let me catch you up. It's located in a bizarre yet wonderful space hard on Woodward Ave. It's got some rock and alternative music chops as one of the most consistent homes of live performances in recent Detroit history. The Majestic Theater is right next door and together the "Stick" and the Majestic represent one of the most unique performance and entertainment spaces that I've even seen. Walking though the place is actually pretty moving, as you sense the music history and the general shenanigans that have gone on here. Over the years, quite a few memorable acts have been through here (Majestic/Magic Stick/Garden Bowl), acts like Buddy Guy, White Stripes, The Skatalites, Johnny Winter, Jimmy Cliff, Son Volt, Los Lobos and Wilco (among many more) have played here and generally blow the roof off the joint.
The Garden Bowl at the Magic Stick
The Garden Bowl (16 lanes - behind the cafe), in case you are wondering, is nothing short of the nation's oldest active bowling center. It also features a unique performance space that happens to be located a few feet above the bowling lanes. As rapper "Xzibit" might say, "You can make some noise down there while we are making some noise up here." Do yourself a favor and drop by the complex someday soon. I don't think that it's changed too much from the old days, but even if you weren't there in the '80s, it's still quite a place.
Alley Deck sign
We converged on the 'Stick at the appointed hour and enjoyed the view from the downstairs cafe, which will essentially be our space for the rally where we can keep a eye on the scoots. We then headed upstairs to see the fabulous deck where we will be enjoying some food and drink in late July. On the way up we walked through the main performance space, a huge room with a stage at one end, a bar at the other, and pool tables on one side. The crew was finishing setting up for a concert (The Germs!) as we walked through and you could feel the energy in the air that happens right before a concert. The "Alley Deck" was thoroughly vetted as an awesome space and we retired to the cafe once more to gain needed refreshment and a slice or two of their credible "Detroit-style" pizza. After a bit, we returned street-side to hang by the scoots and do the thing that we do best - talk. Various people were made fun of and scooters, Detroit politics, historic preservation and yes, the "jobbie nooner" were all discussed. Soon it grew late and we knew that we had to move in order to get rained on. Sure enough, fifteen seconds into the ride north, we got drenched by the very last of the few remaining storm clouds from the afternoon's weather. Even though we were well and truly soaked, we continued on, laughing, and eventually said our goodbyes as each Rover peeled off as we passed their respective cities.
Even with the unexpected bath, the evening was a gratifying experience. It's rare that your hobby intersects with your friends at an awesome entertainment complex where together you are hatching great plans for more fun. It's even better when this happens on a weekly basis. It's great to be in a scooter club! Come out and hang with the Rovers, or try it in your locale.
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