Video: Demo crews raze Eastown Theatre’s legendary stage

A demolition crew toppled the stage and interior of the once-elegant Eastown Theatre on Detroit’s east side on Tuesday, bringing down power lines with it.

Adamo is expected to raze the facade Wednesday as part of Detroit’s efforts to reduce blight.

The Eastown Theatre, which opened in 1930 as a neighborhood movie palace, was neglected and scrapped for years, leaving it without a roof. The city took ownership of the building in the past year.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the theater became a legendary rock venue, hosting bands such as Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, Yes, Grand Funk Railroad, Steppenwolf, King Crimson and MC5.

 

Steve Neavling

Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.