Winter is a slow time for concert tours, as many artists take holidays off, and avoid traveling in the snow. So it's always nice to catch a show from an artist you really like in January.

One of the things I always enjoyed about working at 96.3 in Detroit in the early  2000's was that we did  "Intimate and Acoustic" shows. We'd invite maybe 100 people (listeners, station staff and clients) to come see an artist perform in a small room. It was pretty cool. A station will still do that kind of thing here and there, but back around 2003, we did them often. We featured Nelly Furtado, Train and many more, including David Gray. 

The afternoon of his show, David performed to around 100 people at the original home of Second City Detroit (now the City Theatre), next door to the Fox Theatre.

Seeing a favorite artist live is always a treat, but a little show like this on a Sunday afternoon was really neat. David played a few songs, and was interviewed by our Music Director, Ann Delisi.

He seemed a little quiet. Probably tired. It wasn't detrimental to the experience, it was just something I noticed. It can be strange for an artist on the road to have to break routine. The dude was probably sleeping on the tour bus a half an hour earlier.

Or, maybe he's like that all the time. I wouldn't have a clue! 

That's something that I tried to remember back in my Golden Age of Meeting Famous People. You're only meeting this person for a little tiny slice of time. It may be the most exciting moment of your life, but they may have had a bad turkey sandwich the night before. Maybe they're concerned about a family member back home. Maybe they just got Skyrim and they can't wait to play it. Whatever it is, they just ain't feelin' it. 

I'm not saying that's how this Sunday went at all. It was a really nice experience, just quiet. David was nice, friendly and took time for pictures and autographs.

[Looking at that picture of him signing that magazine for a fan, I recall that it may have been his first look at that particular article.]

Later that night, the show was at the Fox Theatre, which is always warm and inviting. If you're going to see a winter show, it's the perfect place.

He was touring in support of the New Day at Midnight album, and still riding the buzz of the previous album. Because White Ladder took a long time to gain traction in the US after its release in 2000, it was still fresh in the minds of a lot of fans in the States. 

It was a great show, and I was lucky enough to get good seats because of my job. But the section was fairly empty due to Super Bowl XXXVII happening at the exact same time (The Buccaneers defeated the Raiders, 48–21).

There were two gentlemen in our section a few seats down who were obviously either record company representatives or something else having to do with the tour. (Baseball caps and lanyards are a dead giveaway.) They were chatty, and I actually had to "shush" them a couple of times during the acoustic numbers. It didn't ruin the show, but it's kind of a bummer that that's my most vivid memory of it.

I lost touch with David Gray musically over the years.

It might just be time for me to get reacquainted with Mr. Gray!

Please share your David Gray memories in the comments below!

Although this the second entry to this blog, I feel like really this is the first story I've had to tell. I'm glad, because I think it's a pretty good one.

Christmas 1989, I went to Hudson's at Oakland Mall and bought these tickets for my future ex-wife while we were dating. I thought it would be fun. 

She opened the present, and gave me a funny look. She asked if I knew what I had really bought tickets for. Of course I did. Because you see, I bought tickets to see this:

Or so I thought. 

In reality, I actually bought tickets to see this:

Yes, that's the same band. They changed their sound a little bit.

As much as I love music, it took me a really long time to educate myself to find the the stuff I really like. Being into "alternative" music and growing up in the suburbs, it was difficult to find the music I liked.  Thanks to a few high school friends, and Mike Halloran's "Radios In Motion" radio show on WDTX, I found big chunks of artists that I liked. 

I had to navigate the Alternative Music Ocean on my own for the most part, and I hope the whole story comes out as I create these entries.

Hoping to impress my new girl (an alternative music fan herself), I bought these tickets. 

(Here's the back of the ticket, just for fun:)

I was not very wise in the ways of Detroit concert-going at this time, nor the crowds that frequented them. I never went to a dance club or downtown show like this before (technically, the LQ was not located 'downtown', but it might as well have been).

Even if I was familiar with those things, this was not our crowd. There was a chain-link fence around the stage. We stood near the soundboard, where we noticed a dial with a setting for "Hellfire". We were at the wrong show.

Not that it was bad, just not "my thing". To this day, I'm not offended by loud, fast, yelling, guitar-crunching music, it just ain't me. I find it difficult to sing along with in the shower.

I don't remember much about the actual performance, other than it was a lot to take in for the doofy little suburban nineteen-year-old me. We ended up leaving the show before it was over. I think it was a mutual decision, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was really just me who wanted to split. 

I did buy a T-shirt though, and wore the heck out of it, because I'm a poser.

In a strange coincidence, the week that I was preparing this post, my Facebook pals were spreading the word that the Latin Quarter (known more recently as the Grand Quarter) was being torn down.

My last radio job was at the Fisher Building, which is right down the street from the Latin Quarter. I occasionally drove by its sad remnants. It was a really great place to see a show. 

Eventually, I saw many shows there, some of which I lost (or never had) the tickets for. Look for those recaps as the year goes on.

The last "rock show" at the Latin Quarter was May 24, 1991: Dread Zeppelin and Mojo Nixon. Well, heck I was at that show. I even had dinner with both bands before the show. Of course, I can't find that ticket stub, but I have an autographed Mojo Nixon CD in a box somewhere. (Maybe that makes me less "poser-y"? Should a grown man even care about such things? No, he should not.) 

Stepping into the Latin Quarter was like stepping back into Old Detroit. You know those scenes in movies like Goodfellas, where the boys go to see a cabaret show with all the fancy tables and every thing is made of wood? That's what it was like at the LQ. I don't remember many tables actually being there, but I suppose there were some scattered about for drinks, depending on the show.

The Latin Quarter opened in 1944, and was visited by music legends like Al Green, Bob Seger, Ray Charles and GWAR.

Anywhere you stood was a great view. Here's a picture of the stage from the balcony in 1960.

It's too bad that this theater couldn't be saved. I'd still love to see a show there, but it's forgotten about in a basically vacant neighborhood. If you never got to see a show there, you really should be bummed out.

Below, please share your memories of the Latin Quarter, Ministry or seeing shows in Detroit!