One good building: Roostertail, once a staple of Detroit’s music scene, featured on reality show

The Roostertail

• Roostertail

Address: 100 Marquette Dr., Detroit

Architecture: Midcentury modern

History: Opened in 1958 and designed by local architect Edward Newman.

Show and tell: What building in Detroit has special significance to you and why? Email aaron@outliermedia.org with your favorite, and we’ll dig into its history.

“Pawn Stars Do America” — a city-hopping spinoff of the reality show where experts appraise and haggle with owners of collectibles — recently visited Detroit . The episode highlighted some local artifacts and landmarks. One of them was the Roostertail.

The historic riverfront venue was a staple of the city’s music scene in the ’60s and ’70s, hosting lavish events and concerts for hugely famous musicians: The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper, Elton John and Tony Bennett. Today, only a handful of public events take place every year at the Roostertail, which is mostly used for private events.

The venue, which opened in 1958, was built by entrepreneur Joseph Schoenith and designed by local architect Edward Newman. The building has many elements of midcentury design , including a boxy frame and tall glass windows.

Its name comes from the water stream that’s ejected from a hydroplane driven in boat races, something the wealthy Schoenith and his family became known for . He held parties at the Roostertail to watch the hydroplane races on the Detroit River; those races continue to this day .

Schoenith’s twin sons brought many of the famous acts to the club and eventually took over day-to-day management. The “Pawn Stars” episode featured a collector of memorabilia from the venue’s Motown Mondays, a concert series featuring Motown stars starting in 1966.

Check out some historic photos compiled by MLive for a retrospective series on the Roostertail’s 55th anniversary in 2013.

Outlier Media · One good building: Roostertail, once a staple of Detroit’s music scene, featured on reality show