Susan Surma of Redford Township didn’t mind hanging around DTE for several extra hours last week when storms knocked out the venue’s power and held up what was, for some, a much-anticipated Toby Keith concert.
Surma, who came to the concert with her husband Kevin and several other family members, said she’d been to every one of Keith’s Michigan performances, and wasn’t going to miss Thursday’s show.
‘We’ve been Big Dog Daddy fans from the beginning,? she said. ‘So it’s worth the wait. We’ve been people watching, having a few cocktails and just going with the flow. As long as Toby comes on, nothing else matters.?
Many concert goers seemed to agree, with most passing the time by wandering around, talking to others and having a good time, but occasional grumbles surfaced, as well.
‘DTE owns this place,? said a Detroit-area real estate broker who asked that his name not be used, ‘and they lose electricity? What’s going on? Where’s the backup plan??
But Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies, who regularly patrol the venue, reported few problems, although a few extra uniforms were posted for other reasons.
‘Toby Keith is a high-profile person with an outspoken, nationalistic personality,? said Lt. Dale LaBair, commander of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Independence Township substation, who was at DTE during the power outage. ‘He attracts a lot of attention, and he’s had a number of threats, so it didn’t hurt for me to be there.?
LaBair noted that no specific threats were made on Keith’s performance at DTE. The crowd got a little antsy, he said, but no more or less than usual, and most who know how rowdy an impatient crowd can get, seemed to agree.
‘It’s a great crowd tonight,? said a DTE employee who also asked not to be named. ‘Everyone is pretty much behaving, but most people I’ve talked to said they wish (officials) would go ahead and call the concert if that’s what they’re going to do.?
But around 9:30 p.m. the near-capacity crowd began to cheer as stage lights flickered, then came on in full-powered brightness just as generators were arriving to save the show.
‘It’s my first country concert,? said Beth Chubb, who drove from Taylor and said she’d be disappointed if she didn’t see the 46-year-old Keith perform. ‘I had to go to the bathroom in the dark, and I had to drive through a hail storm to get here.?
Like other concert-goers, Chubb found credit card machines down, pop dispensers off, and restrooms without air conditioning or lights made more uncomfortable by automatic toilets that wouldn’t flush.
Still, representatives from the venue said they received few complaints, given the circumstances.
‘There were people who filled out complaint forms (the night of the concert),? said Jeff Corey, director of public relations for Palace Sports and Entertainment. ‘But it was a relatively small amount. People were very patient and very understanding that it was obviously an act of god that was out everyone’s hands.?
Corey said storms previously knocked out power at the venue for a few minutes at a time, but he couldn’t remember another incident with the duration of Thursday’s event’with the exception of the August 2003 blackout’since the Palace took over operations in 1991.
‘Obviously situations like this are few and far between,? he said. ‘It wasn’t anticipated and doesn’t happen often, and having and the idea of having the generators on hand to generate the power you need for a full concert performance would be a major undertaking.?
The show ended at 12:15 a.m., more than an hour past DTE’s 11 p.m. curfew.
‘It was obviously extenuating circumstances,? said Corey. ‘We wanted to give ticket holders as full a show as possible.?