Detroit: Music of the Motor City at Soulpepper Theatre

Experience the sound of Detroit's History

Detroit was once called, ‘The City of the Future.' It was built on the innovation of Henry Ford and later gutted by the collapse of the automotive industry. 20th century Detroit is more than the story of collapse and rebirth, it’s also a story of how those pressures created the music that captured the world's attention: ‘The Sound of Young America.'

After a sold-out run in 2023 Soulpepper regulars Andrew Penner and Travis Knights, along with a group of incredible performers will return to the stage to tell the story of this city and its sound. Through the many genres that came out of Detroit (Motown, Jazz, Hip Hop and Detroit Rock to name a few) they'll dive deep into the city’s heart and history; from the assembly line to abandoned factories to the resilient sounds of today’s Detroit.

"Gutted buildings strike terror to the heart...how did it happen? how did it start?" -Gordon Lightfoot