A little history
Leonard B. Smith and the Detroit Concert Band at Remick Bandshell
Photo: Detroit Historical Museum
Erected in 1950 by Detroit music publisher Jerome H. Remick, the Remick Bandshell was a popular venue for summer concerts on Belle Isle performed by the Detroit Concert Band until 1980.
The Remick bandshell cost $150,000 and replaced an older rounded one nestled on a small waterway between the Nancy Brown Carillon Tower and the skating pavilion. Listeners would sit on the rows of green park benches, lie on blankets on the lawn, or sit in their canoes pulled up on the shore. The stage was 40 x 80 feet and could accommodate 80 musicians. The structure included restrooms, a radio control room, dressing and assembly rooms and storage. The design of the shell could push the sounds for a typical concert out to an audience of 10,000.
our mission
Since 1980, the bandshell has been neglected and is no longer usable. Summer concerts have disappeared from the island. The metro Detroit area is home to many passionate musicians who play in several area concert bands. A few of those musicians have formed the group MOBIG - Music On Belle Isle Group, dedicated to returning summer band concerts to Belle Isle and to restoring the Remick Bandshell. MOBIG has reached out to the pertinent agencies that manage Belle Isle State Park to get support for this effort. Several area community concert bands performed in the River Blast concert series in 2018 and 2019. MOBIG believes that River Blast will be widely received by area residents and lead to support for the restoration of the Remick Bandshell and a permanent home for an on-going summer concert series.
participating bands since 2018
Farmington Community Band
Royal Oak Concert Band
Ferndale Community Concert Band
North Oakland Concert Band
Motor City Brass Band
Novi Community Band
Plymouth Community Band
Belgian and Heritage Concert Bands
Rea Deal Big Band
Five Lakes Silver Band
Peace Jubilee Brass Band
Downriver Community Band
Warren Concert Band
Canton Concert Band
Birmingham Concert Band
Rock Bottom
Dr Pocket
Vincent Chandler and the WSU Jazz Warriors
Ferndale M1 Jazz Collective
What We've accomplished
Established Music On Belle Isle Group - MOBIG
Established MOBIG as non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Michigan
Organized MOBIG with board of directors and officers
Establish bylaws for organization
Established MOBIG non-profit 501(c)(3) certification
Held several meetings with Belle Isle Park staff and DNR
Presented the second annual Belle Isle River Blast! summer concert series with area concert bands at beautiful Sunset Point and scheduled evening concerts to avoid the summer heat.
We paid our performing ensembles a modest honorarium for the first time, with plans to double the amount in 2020.
Attracted a record amount of contributions, which has helped to put MOBIG on firmer financial footing.
Improved our relationship with the Department of Natural Resources management of Belle Isle, setting the stage for expanded cooperation in the future.
Pursued leads for obtaining the large grants that will be required to fund the engineering assessment of the historic but now dilapidated Remick Band Shell and, ultimately, to rehabilitate it.
Conducted an expanded level of paid advertising in support of our sponsored concerts, and Music On Belle Isle Group.
Attracted attention to our activities, particularly via a feature article in Curbed Detroit magazine.
MOBIG has contracted an architectural engineering firm to asses the structural integrity of the existing Remick band shell in September 2020.