Plans for Michigan Stadium concert stalled as Seger decides against summer tour
Plans for Michigan Stadium concert stalled as Seger decides against summer tour
By GEOFF LARCOM
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
There will be no Seger this summer in Michigan Stadium.
The University of Michigan athletic department had hoped to lure rock star Bob Seger to the Big House in the coming months for the first-ever concert there.
But now U-M officials are eyeing next spring as a date for Seger or another top musical act.
Athletic director Bill Martin met Seger last fall as they pursued a mutual passion - sailing. Over golf and by phone they had discussed the possibility of bringing Seger and his band to Ann Arbor.
But Seger has decided not to tour this summer,and instead is staying in the studio and working on a new album, according to a spokesman in his office. Martin and his marketing staff decided this week not to pursue another band, but to wait until next May or early June for the initial concert at the stadium.
That first performer could be Seger, or it could be another act that fits what U-M wants: a high-profile performer who appeals to a mature audience. Seger has told Martin he’d love to be the first artist to perform in the football stadium, and his Ann Arbor roots make him appealing to U-M, Martin said. Seger attended Ann Arbor High School in the 1960s.
“We’ll take a lot of care to make sure
the performer matches up well with U-M,” said Tom Brooks, director of marketing and promotions for U-M athletics. “We want to do this first class, and waiting a year gives us time to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.”
U-M has already checked out aspects of Michigan Stadium as a concert site. Last week, the athletic department took the boom off a 70-ton crane and wheeled the big metal monster down to the playing field, to ensure that it would fit in the tunnel entrance.
The crane is necessary to assemble the huge stage of a rock concert. The stage would sit at the south end of the field, and U-M would sell 50,000-60,000 seats to the side and in front of the stage, Brooks said, with performers also being shown on the video score-boards.
Geoff Larcom can be reached by e-mail at glarcom@annarbornews.com or at (734) 994-6838.