Rock Candy

Rock and movie fan Matt Smith checks in with more from his trip to Rock City Detroit:

We stopped by Cobo Hall last Friday. This is a legendary concert venue that is famous for hosting heavy metal bands. KISS had their first big break out show away from New York at Cobo. In addition to being a center for concerts and shows, the arena contains the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
All types of professional and college level sports are well represented.
The one thing that really sets this museum apart is the operating hours.
It is open 24 hours a day. You can just stop by any time. It is
impossible to be more convenient than that!

We attended the NHL Detroit Red Wings vs. Tampa Bay Lightning game tonight. The place was packed, even for a pre season game. The cities in the northeast love hockey. Arkansas couldn’t care less, and I hate that fact.
I really enjoyed the Glacier Cats and River Blades, but unfortunately central Arkansas couldn’t even keep a really MINOR league hockey team in business. Those two teams were from different leagues, at least some one tried to have a hockey team in Little Rock.

Joe Louis Arena is nice. The fans seem to love it, and it contains most of the amenities that I have seen at NHL facilities across the nation.
However, the word is that Joe Louis is coming down. They plan to build a new home for the Red Wings, and soon according to spectators in the stands. I guess that is to be expected. Comerica Park for Detroit Tigers MLB baseball, and Ford Field for NFL Detroit Lions football appear to be almost brand new. The city must feel like a new hockey arena should be next.

After the game we took the People Mover around town. This is basically a subway train on a raised rail line above the city. It has a dozen stops.
The entire loop runs about 20 minutes. The fare is .50 cents. This is an easy, quick and simple way to get around in down town. Hockey Town was our destination for food and drinks after the game. This café / bar is just like an ESPN Zone restaurant. Flat screen TV’s all over the walls with sports playing, as well as jerseys and helmets on the wall for décor. The food is the same: Hard Rock Café, Hooters, Planet Hollywood, et al. I
mean there are just so many ways to do burgers, fries, and pizza. But, the atmosphere was great, and that’s why I go to these sports grills. Hockey Town benefits from two things, the fact that Detroit doesn’t have an ESPN Zone, and location. They are right across the street from the football and baseball fields. The FOX Theater is one block away. The State Theater is two blocks down. CZ Sports Zone is close by for your sports memorabilia needs.

More to come from Detroit Rock City. -- Matt Smith