(CelebrityAccess News Service) – DTE Energy Music Theatre and Meadow Brook Music Festival overcame inclement early summer weather and the most severe blackout in U.S. history to post successful summers in 2003. More than 833,000 guests attended DTE Energy Music Theatre's 72 shows, including 19 sellouts, numbers which should maintain its status as the nation's most attended outdoor concert venue for the 13th consecutive year. In addition, the amphitheatre's per-show attendance average of more than 11,500 is its third-highest since Palace Sports and Entertainment (PS&E) took over ownership and management in 1991.
Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University posted the most successful summer in the 10 years it has been managed by PS&E. More than 170,000 guests enjoyed 46 events including Beck (June 10); V98.7 Smooth Jazzfest (June 14); Ben Harper/Jack Johnson (June 24); Norah Jones (July 5); Carrot Top (July 22); 311 (July 31); Weird Al Yankovic (August 22); The Crusaders and David Sanborn Band (August 24); as well as five weekends with the world-renowned Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
"One of our priorities this summer was to make the concert-going experience as affordable as possible," said Tom Wilson, president and CEO of PS&E. "We did this by offering promotions such as $10 tickets, by booking shows with reasonable prices and by working in cooperation with our media partners and sponsors on various ticket specials. Our area concert-goers responded and showed why they are the most enthusiastic anywhere again this summer. The efforts we made were rewarded with another fantastic turnout."
DTE Energy Music Theatre hosted sold-out dates for ZZ Top with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Double Trouble (May 23); Poison with Vince Neil and Skid Row (May 30); Jimmy Buffett &The Coral Reefer Band (June 24); Pearl Jam with Buzzcocks (June 25); Kenny Chesney with Keith Urban and Deanna Carter (July 6); John Michael Montgomery with Brian McComas (July 13); James Taylor (July 20); Sammy Hagar/Lynyrd Skynyrd with Cross Canadian Ragweed (July 22); Ozzfest 2003 (July 24); Chicago (July 26); Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo with Green Vinyl Dream (July 30); John Mayer and Counting Crows with Graham Colton (August 2); Alabama (August 9); Beach Boys (August 10); Aaron Carter with Jump 5 (August 19); Rock the Mic Tour with 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, Bone Crusher, Chingy and Obie Trice (August 21); The Doobie Brothers (August 24); Bryan Adams with Stewart Francke (August 28); and Randy Travis with Rachel Proctor (September 12).
Other major summer tours making strong showings at DTE Energy Music Theatre included: The Doors 21st Century Tour (June 20); Lollapalooza 2003 (July 18); and Iggy and The Stooges reunion show with Sonic Youth and The Von Bondies (August 25). –Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
