Besides me, has anyone else noticed how many of the concerts over the past year or so seem to be heading downtown more often than not? Have you noticed that bands that have been playing such places as the Palace for the last seven years or more, have been moving their Detroit gigs back downtown?

Well, I can't speak officially, but I feel that there is a shift of shows coming back downtown, versus years of having the majority of shows out in the suburbs. And for most Detroit concert-goers, that is not a bad thing at all.

Before all of the detractors get their say, hear me out. DTE Energy Music Theatre (damn, it still doesn’t roll off the tongue) will always continue to get dates summer after summer, because of the nature of the venue. And for those of you who never leave downtown for a show, hear me out as well. Detroit has always had many good shows downtown, at places of varying sizes; it just seems there are more of them these days.

I am mostly talking about larger venue shows, and not club shows here. If you have seen listings for upcoming shows; you have seen the shift to places such as Joe Louis Arena, and the Majestic Theatre. Nine Inch Nails and Dave Matthews were two groups that played the Palace at least the last two times when in Detroit. Both groups have shifted to Joe Louis Arena.

Also, the Majestic Theatre seems to have doubled their bookings of shows from a year ago. Last fall, you would have been lucky to see five or six events on the Majestic’s docket. This year, at last count, there was 18 shows on the books this fall at the Majestic. So much for the Magic Stick seeing most of the action…

Even larger venues like Comerica Park have seen big shows from Eminem and the Rolling Stones this summer. Both have previously frequented the Palace.

And have you noticed the shows that are coming to the Palace this fall? More opera and Christian based artists, like Joel Osteen and Steven Curtis Chapman are on the schedule. Except for an earlier concert by Green Day and an upcoming Bon Jovi show, the Palace lacks any rock, pop, or R&B shows this fall.

While the Palace seems to shift focus to more family-oriented shows and events; Clutch Cargo’s seems to be on life support. This former mainstay of punk bands and rap-rock groups in Pontiac; Clutch has one show on the books this fall: an October 19th show with Mindless Self Indulgence. It is highly rumored that Clutch will be changing it’s name to the “iLounge” in October. So, it looks like Pontiac may not have an indoor venue for shows anymore.

So, why are these downtown venues thriving, while things are getting quiet up north? Are gas prices becoming too insane to make the hike all the way up past the arctic circle to Clarkston or Auburn Hills? On the flip side; will northern suburbanites suffering at the pumps continue to drive downtown? Perhaps the city of Pontiac just gave up on booking shows? Maybe the Palace makes enough money from the Pistons, and has stopped worrying about any other shows.

Those could all be valid reasons for the shift in the concert landscape in Detroit.

There are some people who still have a fear of crossing 8 Mile for a show, which just plays into the negative stereotypes about this area that the national media lives to talk about. And for those concertgoers who still think that way; it is going to get very lonely for you for the foreseeable future, or at least until next summer, when DTE gets their schedule.

This is meant to spark conversation. I want to hear YOUR ideas as to why there is a shift. Personally, I would rather smell the city sewers and jam into small spaces downtown for shows; than deal with big prices and too much security any day of the week.

Remember, everything I say in this article is speculation. If a venue spokesman wants to talk to me for a follow up, it will be interesting to hear their spin on the issue. You know where to find me. arthatesyou@detroitbuzz.com.

Or give me some feedback on the messageboard.