North End

A neighborhood in Detroit

The North End sits just north of Midtown and adjacent to New Center, with deep roots in jazz, blues, Motown, and techno. Techno was born here in the 1980s, when Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, known as the Belleville Three, originated the electronic funk sound now heard in clubs worldwide. Oakland Avenue was the neighborhood's main commercial strip, where icons including Etta James, George Clinton, James Brown, and the Temptations performed. Today, the neighborhood's main live-music anchor is the Russell Industrial Center. Located at 1600 Clay St, it originated as a manufacturing site for the Detroit auto industry. With a history spanning nearly a century, the complex has been revitalized as an expo center and creative workspace for local artists. It hosts concerts across a wide range of genres, having welcomed acts including Autechre, Citizen, and Saves the Day, alongside electronic artists like Eptic and ALLEYCVT. The venue holds up to 700 for plated events and 1,500 for standing shows.