The Return of the Pine Knob Music Theatre

https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2022/01/14/pine-knob-name-dte-energy-music-theatre-concerts/9184916002/

Pine Knob is Pine Knob again: DTE Energy Music Theatre reverts to original name
Brian McCollum
Detroit Free Press

Since 2001, the Pine Knob name had survived only in spirit at the venue rechristened DTE Energy Music Theatre, conjuring the old summer charm of loud and festive concert nights north of Detroit.

Now, that classic name is headed back to the marquee: Pine Knob Music Theatre is again the official designation for the beloved Clarkston amphitheater, which routinely ranks among the top-grossing in the country.
Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan

The Pine Knob renaming was revealed Friday morning by venue operator 313 Presents, following the expiration of DTE Energy’s 20-year naming deal in late December. New partners United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) and Trinity Health were also announced as part of a multiyear agreement that will keep “Pine Knob” intact for some time to come.

The company also unveiled a logo that harks back to the Pine Knob original — including the vintage, 1970s-style font — with a new twist on its woodsy summer theme.
A new logo featuring the revived “Pine Knob Music Theatre” name was unveiled Friday, Jan. 14, 2022.

The revival of the Pine Knob name, coming as the amphitheater embarks on a 50th anniversary celebration, will be music to the ears of Michigan music fans, many of whom continued to use the old moniker years after the switch.

For concertgoers who came of age in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, it might also serve as a shot of nostalgic comfort after nearly two years of pandemic-induced upheaval in the live-music world.

Affection for the old name ran deep, becoming a badge of authenticity for performers and audiences: One of the easiest applause lines for a visiting artist was an enthusiastic “Hello, Pine Knob!” from the stage, while apparel makers found a cottage industry with shirts and other items sporting the slogan “I Still Call it Pine Knob.”

The resurrection of a classic name marks a rare reversal in the modern entertainment and sports world, where corporate naming sponsorships have become a multibillion-dollar business and key revenue source. Just a handful of A-list concert venues have withstood the renaming trend, among them New York’s Madison Square Garden, L.A.’s Hollywood Bowl and Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

And now Pine Knob, one of the oldest and most successful U.S. amphitheaters built explicitly for popular music, will rejoin that list of venerable names.

313 Presents touts the Pine Knob renaming as a nod to the past and a new vision for the future. The company is a joint venture between the Ilitch and Tom Gores entertainment operations, also overseeing shows at Little Caesars Arena, the Fox Theatre and several other venues. The amphitheater was acquired by Gores in 2011 when he purchased the Detroit Pistons, the Palace of Auburn Hills and related interests from the Davidson family.

“It’s a great milestone. It’s perfect for the 50th anniversary. The summer music season is a ritual for people in our part of the world,” said Howard Handler, president of 313 Presents. “This is where you spend a lot of great summer nights. We’re really excited for the ‘22 season and the future of this whole thing.”

The journey to restoring the Pine Knob name started in 2020, when “we realized the potential to reimagine the partnership model,” Handler said.

Handler, a metro Detroit native who headed off for executive marketing work with the NFL, Madison Square Garden and Major League Soccer, returned to Michigan in late 2019 to take the 313 reins. He said he was struck by the enduring resonance of the Pine Knob name nearly two decades after it was retired.

“We realized that DTE was unlikely to return (as naming sponsor), that their priorities had changed, and that we were in a position to have some different conversations,” said Handler, citing talks with UWM and Trinity Health. “We told them our basic idea — ‘hey, we’re thinking about bringing the original name back’ — and both of them were really, really excited. They thought it was the smartest thing, and they wanted to participate.”

It involved what Handler called “an intensive process to update the brand,” including research that revealed younger audiences were familiar with the Pine Knob name. 313 Presents officials also interviewed hundreds of venue guests, vendors and artists.

Troy firm Simons-Michelson-Zieve was enlisted to design the new logo, charged with tapping Pine Knob’s emotional connection in the region while giving the emblem a modern spin.

“We landed on the clear favorite that touches the right buttons in terms of music, summer, fun and outdoors. We put it through the wringer,” Handler said. “We hope it strikes the right balance between tipping our hat to the rich memories and nostalgia, while being a contemporary take on the scenic landscape that’s symbolic of Michigan’s premier summer concert destination. It’s vintage, but it’s also meant to look toward the future and be very much a 21st century brand.”
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band plays in front of a sellout crowd for the last of a six-show run at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Friday, June 21, 2019.

The Pine Knob rechristening comes as part of an anniversary season that will officially mark 50 years on June 25 — the date in 1972 when David Cassidy inaugurated the venue with an afternoon concert. The Clarkston amphitheater, opened by the Nedelander family and acquired by Bill Davidson in 1990, became a go-to summer spot for touring bands and local acts such as Bob Seger, who ultimately played 33 dates at the venue.

As summer amphitheaters — “sheds” in industry parlance — increasingly became the backbone of the touring business, Pine Knob soared. By the ‘90s, it regularly ranked first in attendance among North American amphitheaters, sometimes drawing nearly a million concertgoers annually.

The venue reassumed that throne in 2019, the last full year of shows before the pandemic, leading the nation with 598,617 in attendance, based on data compiled by the trade magazine Pollstar.

DTE Energy purchased naming rights for Pine Knob ahead of the 2001 season in an initial 10-year deal valued at $1 million annually. It followed the merger of Detroit Edison and Michigan Consolidated Gas, as DTE became the company’s public-facing name. The utility embarked on a high-profile branding campaign across the region, placing its logo at center ice in Joe Louis Arena and behind centerfield at Comerica Park.

DTE renewed the amphitheater deal in 2010 with another 10-year contract, though new terms were not disclosed.

DTE Energy said in a Friday statement it purchased the naming rights in 2001 “to solidify the company name among consumers in its service territory.”

“Having achieved our goal, we made the decision to let the contract expire and return those dollars back to DTE operations,” the statement read.

Pine Knob’s new partners will feature prominently at the venue: United Wholesale Mortgage will take over exclusive naming rights at the west entrance and parking lot. Trinity Health will do the same at the VIP entrance and parking lot.

The 2022 anniversary season is shaping up to be among Pine Knob’s busiest in many years, said Dave Clark, president of Live Nation’s Michigan division. Live Nation books and promotes the bulk of the schedule in Clarkston.

This summer’s calendar already includes a host of shows initially scheduled in 2020 and 2021, but postponed amid surges of COVID-19 cases, and coming weeks will bring a barrage of new show announcements, including Pine Knob mainstays and first-time headliners, Clark said.

Clark celebrated the revival of the Pine Knob name as a move that will click with older music fans while serving as a dose of “retro cool” for younger patrons.

“That venue has proven to be the glue that holds artists and fans together,” Clark said.