The Palace – The New American Digest

Ground-breaking for The Palace of Auburn Hills began in 1986, it opened in 1988, and was demolished in 2020. Originally built by the Detroit Pistons basketball franchise, it was intended as a multi-purpose arena. Unlike many stadiums, it was not built with public money and never sold naming rights to corporate sponsors. The final Pistons basketball game was played in 2017.

Many concerts were held at The Palace, among them: Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead (8 times), Aerosmith (14 times), Led Zepplin, Phish (4 times).

And semi-hometown favorites, Grand Funk Railroad, Madonna, and Bob Seger.

The Palace is only about 2 miles from where Madonna went to high school. At one concert in Detroit, she called out to her former science teacher and said: “See, I didn’t need science after all“.

Bob Seger played the final concert at The Palace in 2017. This was roughly 1 mile from where I first saw Bob Seger’s Last Heard (East Side Story, Persecution Smith, Heavy Music) and System (Ramblin Gamblin Man, 2+2=? – with Glenn Frey) play at the Silverbell Village Ski Resort 50 years earlier when he played (with other bands) for a $3 cover charge in the mid/late 60s. Peppy on the oil drum bass drums …

Pink Floyd played the Silverbell once as a backup band for Fleetwood Mac – ’67 or ’68 (info on this is spotty and hazy but it fits my memory). This would have been more or less the same time they both played the Grande Ballroom (a different story). None of these bands were then what they would become a few years later. I still kick myself for skipping that Pink Floyd concert – “They’ll be back” I thought to myself … (I missed them one other time when they played in Royal Oak about a year later) but I sure enjoyed Seger’s concerts (and other local bands of the time).

Nothing now remains of either venue; even the ski hill has been removed from Silverbell; only the Palace parking lot remains (last time I was by there). Last time I passed by, the parking lot was filled with surplus new automobiles from the nearby GM Orion plant (Or-E-en, not O-rye-on).

More to my memory though … way back in distant time, one of my closest friends lived on Harmon Road, immediately to the north of the Palace location. In those days, the massive development that has occurred in the area since was only in the future planning stage – this was “the sticks” – and the area was heavily wooded. We used to shoot 50 caliber, black powder buffalo rifles into trees located in what became The Palace parking lot. Like granny gear, the bullets didn’t move fast … and they didn’t stop easily either.

Shoot one of those with full charge and if you missed the bear, at least the recoil would knock you back out of the bear’s range.

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ghostsniper

2 days ago

The way I heard it was, if you missed, the air off the ball going past would knock the bear off it’s feet, giving you time to haul ass.

ghostsniper

2 days ago

I’VE DECIDED TO LEAVE THIS BLOG BECAUSE IT HAS COMPLETELY SHIFTED AWAY FROM ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE.

WHEN I FIRST JOINED, THIS SPACE WAS MEANT TO BE A LIGHTHEARTED PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD COME TOGETHER, UNWIND, AND HAVE FUN.

IT WAS A PLACE WHERE HUMOR THRIVED, WHERE JOKES WERE SHARED WITHOUT FEAR OF OFFENDING ANYONE, AND WHERE EVERYONE COULD LAUGH TOGETHER.

UNFORTUNATELY, OVER TIME, IT HAS BECOME MORE FOCUSED ON POLITICS, AND AS A RESULT, THE ATMOSPHERE HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED.

WHAT WAS ONCE A SPACE FOR LAUGHTER AND CAMARADERIE NOW FEELS LIKE A BATTLEGROUND FOR DIFFERING OPINIONS.

I NEVER EXPECTED A BLOG MEANT FOR COMEDY TO DEVOLVE.

I CAME HERE TO RELAX AND TAKE A BREAK FROM THE HEAVINESS OF THE WORLD, NOT TO BE BOMBARDED BY ARGUMENTS ABOUT POLICIES, IDEOLOGIES, OR WHO’S RIGHT AND WHO’S WRONG.

I UNDERSTAND THAT POLITICS ARE IMPORTANT TO SOME PEOPLE, BUT IT FEELS LIKE THIS BLOG HAS LOST ITS SENSE OF HUMOR IN FAVOR OF BICKERING OVER ISSUES THAT HAVE NO PLACE HERE.

THE FUN AND LIGHTNESS THAT INITIALLY DREW US TOGETHER HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY HOSTILITY AND TENSION.

IT’S FRUSTRATING TO SEE HOW QUICKLY THIS COMMUNITY HAS CHANGED.

AT FIRST, THERE WAS A SENSE OF UNITY, A SHARED UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WERE ALL HERE TO ESCAPE THE STRESS OF DAILY LIFE THROUGH LAUGHTER.

BUT NOW, INSTEAD OF SHARING JOKES OR FUNNY STORIES, WE’RE CONSTANTLY NAVIGATING HEATED DISCUSSIONS.

THERE’S NO ROOM FOR FUN ANYMORE BECAUSE THE SPACE HAS BEEN OVERTAKEN BY CONTENTIOUS DEBATES.

THE ORIGINAL VIBE OF THIS GROUP HAS BEEN COMPLETELY OVERSHADOWED BY POLITICAL DISAGREEMENTS, AND IT’S HARD TO ENJOY ANYTHING WHEN EVERY CONVERSATION FEELS LIKE IT COULD SPIRAL INTO AN ARGUMENT.

I CAME HERE TO SHARE JOKES AND GOOD TIMES, NOT TO CONSTANTLY WALK ON EGGSHELLS, WONDERING WHETHER THE NEXT POST WILL SPARK A POLITICAL DEBATE.

COMEDY IS SUPPOSED TO UNITE US, NOT DIVIDE US, BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT THIS GROUP HAS BECOME.

LAUGHTER HAS BEEN REPLACED BY ANGER, AND INSTEAD OF FINDING COMMON GROUND THROUGH HUMOR, PEOPLE ARE DRAWING LINES IN THE SAND, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO JUST RELAX AND ENJOY THE MOMENT.

IT’S NOT WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR, AND IT’S NOT WHAT I THINK MOST OF US JOINED FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE HAVE STRONG OPINIONS AND THAT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT POLITICS ARE INEVITABLE IN ANY GROUP.

BUT THIS PARTICULAR SPACE WASN’T CREATED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

IT WAS MEANT TO BE A SPACE FOR HUMOR, NOT FOR DISCUSSING THE LATEST NEWS OR ARGUING ABOUT POLITICAL CANDIDATES.

I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH TALKING ABOUT POLITICS, BUT IT SHOULD BE DONE IN A DIFFERENT SPACE—ONE WHERE EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE AND WILLING TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL DISCOURSE.

THAT’S NOT WHAT THIS GROUP IS ANYMORE.

IT’S HARD TO ENJOY ANYTHING WHEN YOU’RE CONSTANTLY BOMBARDED WITH ARGUMENTS THAT OVERSHADOW THE HUMOR THAT INITIALLY ATTRACTED US ALL HERE.

INSTEAD OF SHARING JOKES OR FUNNY OBSERVATIONS, WE’RE FACED WITH POSTS THAT ARE FILLED WITH FRUSTRATION, FINGER-POINTING, AND NAME-CALLING.

IT’S EXHAUSTING.

I’VE TRIED TO IGNORE THE POLITICAL POSTS, BUT IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO ESCAPE THEM.

THEY SEEM TO HAVE TAKEN OVER EVERY CORNER OF THE GROUP, LEAVING LITTLE ROOM FOR ANYTHING ELSE.

I JUST WANT A SPACE WHERE WE CAN LAUGH, A PLACE WHERE HUMOR IS THE MAIN FOCUS AND EVERYONE CAN ENJOY A GOOD TIME WITHOUT FEELING LIKE WE HAVE TO CHOOSE SIDES ON EVERY ISSUE.

IT’S NOT ABOUT AVOIDING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS OR PRETENDING THAT THE WORLD ISN’T FULL OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS.

IT’S ABOUT CREATING A SPACE WHERE, FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, WE CAN ALL FORGET OUR DIFFERENCES AND JUST ENJOY SOME LIGHTHEARTED FUN.

THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT THIS GROUP WAS ALL ABOUT, BUT NOW IT’S TURNED INTO SOMETHING UNRECOGNIZABLE.

SO, I’M LEAVING BECAUSE IT’S CLEAR THAT THE TONE HAS SHIFTED, AND IT NO LONGER FEELS LIKE THE KIND OF GROUP I SIGNED UP FOR.

IT’S SAD TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WAS ONCE A PLACE FOR JOY AND LAUGHTER TURN INTO SOMETHING SO TOXIC.

THE CONSTANT POLITICAL DRAMA HAS CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT THAT FEELS MORE LIKE A WAR ZONE THAN A COMEDY GROUP, AND I CAN’T KEEP PARTICIPATING IN THAT.

I DIDN’T JOIN THIS GROUP TO BE A PART OF POLITICAL INFIGHTING—I JOINED TO BE A PART OF A COMMUNITY WHERE WE COULD ALL UNWIND AND LAUGH TOGETHER.

THE SAD PART IS THAT I DON’T THINK IT HAS TO BE THIS WAY.

WE COULD HAVE KEPT THE HUMOR WHILE ALSO HAVING ROOM FOR THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSIONS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE BALANCE WAS LOST.

THE POLITICS TOOK OVER, AND NOW IT’S HARD TO SEE A WAY BACK TO THE FUN, EASYGOING SPACE THAT WE ALL ONCE ENJOYED.

I’M DISAPPOINTED THAT THINGS TURNED OUT THIS WAY, BUT I CAN’T FORCE MYSELF TO STAY IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT NO LONGER ALIGNS WITH WHAT I WANT OUT OF AN ONLINE COMMUNITY.

I HOPE THIS SERVES AS A REMINDER OF WHY WE ALL JOINED IN THE FIRST PLACE—TO HAVE A GOOD TIME AND SHARE A LAUGH.

IT’S EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT AND FORGET WHAT DREW US TOGETHER IN THE BEGINNING, BUT I THINK WE ALL NEED TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND REMEMBER WHAT MADE THIS GROUP SPECIAL.
IT WASN’T THE POLITICS OR THE ARGUMENTS; IT WAS THE SHARED LOVE OF HUMOR AND THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT CAME FROM ENJOYING FUNNY MOMENTS TOGETHER.

IT’S UNFORTUNATE THAT SOME PEOPLE FEEL THE NEED TO USE THIS SPACE FOR POLITICAL EXPRESSION, BUT IT’S NOT SOMETHING I CAN CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH.

I CAME HERE TO ESCAPE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE WORLD, NOT TO DIVE DEEPER INTO IT.

FOR ME, LAUGHTER IS A WAY TO COPE, A WAY TO FIND LIGHT IN DARK TIMES, AND THIS GROUP USED TO PROVIDE THAT.

NOW, IT FEELS LIKE THERE’S NO ROOM FOR THAT ANYMORE.

THE HUMOR IS LOST IN THE NOISE OF DIVISIVE CONVERSATIONS, AND IT’S SIMPLY NOT FUN ANYMORE.

I THINK THE PROBLEM IS THAT PEOPLE GET SO CAUGHT UP IN THEIR OWN BELIEFS THAT THEY FORGET WHY THIS SPACE WAS CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

IT WAS MEANT TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, NOT TEAR THEM APART.

COMEDY HAS THE UNIQUE ABILITY TO BRIDGE GAPS BETWEEN PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, BUT WHEN IT’S OVERSHADOWED BY POLITICS, IT LOSES ITS POWER TO UNITE.

INSTEAD OF SHARING A LAUGH, PEOPLE ARE SHARING FRUSTRATION AND ANGER, AND THAT’S NOT SOMETHING I WANT TO BE A PART OF.

I’VE SEEN THE WAY THAT SOME POSTS HAVE TURNED INTO FULL-FLEDGED ARGUMENTS, AND IT’S DISHEARTENING.

THIS GROUP USED TO BE A PLACE WHERE YOU COULD COME AND KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE WORLD, YOU COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON A GOOD LAUGH.

BUT NOW, IT FEELS LIKE EVERY POST IS A CHANCE FOR SOMEONE TO MAKE A POLITICAL STATEMENT OR START A DEBATE I’VE DECIDED TO LEAVE THIS GROUP BECAUSE IT HAS COMPLETELY SHIFTED AWAY FROM ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE.

WHEN I FIRST JOINED, THIS SPACE WAS MEANT TO BE A LIGHTHEARTED PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD COME TOGETHER, UNWIND, AND HAVE FUN.

IT WAS A PLACE WHERE HUMOR THRIVED, WHERE JOKES WERE SHARED WITHOUT FEAR OF OFFENDING ANYONE, AND WHERE EVERYONE COULD LAUGH TOGETHER.

UNFORTUNATELY, OVER TIME, IT HAS BECOME MORE FOCUSED ON POLITICS, AND AS A RESULT, THE ATMOSPHERE HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED.

WHAT WAS ONCE A SPACE FOR LAUGHTER AND CAMARADERIE NOW FEELS LIKE A BATTLEGROUND FOR DIFFERING OPINIONS.

I NEVER EXPECTED A GROUP MEANT FOR COMEDY TO DEVOLVE INTO ENDLESS POLITICAL DEBATES.

I CAME HERE TO RELAX AND TAKE A BREAK FROM THE HEAVINESS OF THE WORLD, NOT TO BE BOMBARDED BY ARGUMENTS ABOUT POLICIES, IDEOLOGIES, OR WHO’S RIGHT AND WHO’S WRONG.

I UNDERSTAND THAT POLITICS ARE IMPORTANT TO SOME PEOPLE, BUT IT FEELS LIKE THIS GROUP HAS LOST ITS SENSE OF HUMOR IN FAVOR OF BICKERING OVER ISSUES THAT HAVE NO PLACE HERE.