DETROIT

Detroit’s Magic Stick to reopen in September

Mark Hicks
The Detroit News

After the demise of the nightclub that moved in there last year, Detroit’s legendary Magic Stick venue is returning to its Midtown location, officials announced Wednesday.

The Magic Stick will be rebranded as electronic dance music venue Populux next month.

The Magic Stick is scheduled to reopen in September where it once held court: the second floor of the Majestic Theatre Center and Complex on Woodward. It’s slated to offer performances by artists and bands in the alternative, dance, hip-hop, indie rock and rock music genres, according to representatives. Meanwhile, the Alley Bar also is reopening on the complex’s second floor with outdoor seating.

“We are pleased to bring back a staple in the city’s music scene,” Dave Zainea, owner of the complex, said in a release. “With all of the new developments happening in the city, it’s nice to have a familiar place to come to and enjoy good music. The Magic Stick is home to that unique Detroit sound made famous by so many local musicians and entertainers over the years. A new generation of Detroiters deserves to experience the magic that made our music scene the heart and soul of a city.”

The Magic Stick, which had booked bands in the space above the city’s Garden Bowl since the 1990s, once notched 275 concerts annually, Zainea told The Detroit News. After declining business, the site last year transitioned to Populux, a nightspot initially touted as focusing on techno music rather than rock.

But the new club was shuttered this month amid an investigation of inflammatory tweets to its Twitter page after five police officers were fatally shot in Dallas.

The owners said they filed complaints with the FBI and the Wayne County internet crimes task force to determine who posted several racist tweets. Those posts, which Populux said were not authorized, prompted some acts to cancel their concerts there.

Before reopening, the Magic Stick and the Alley Bar are expected to undergo minor renovations, representatives said Wednesday.

The complex also houses the Pepperoni’s Pizzeria and Deli, Garden Bowl, Majestic Cafe and Majestic Theatre.