Pine Knob: the Clarkston amphitheater that lost its name for 20 years

Did you know one of Michigan’s most famous concert spots spent two decades going by a different name? The open-air amphitheater off Sashabaw Road in Clarkston opened on June 25, 1972, with a matinee by teen idol David Cassidy. The venue’s own history says it “earned its fame upon opening because it was the biggest amphitheater in the United States at the time.” It took the name Pine Knob from the ski hill and golf course next door.

Then, in 2001, a branding deal changed the marquee. Pine Knob became the DTE Energy Music Theatre, named for the Detroit power company. The new name stuck for the next twenty years. When that deal ended, the venue went back to the name fans had used all along — the change to Pine Knob Music Theatre was announced in January 2022. Plenty of locals had never stopped calling it Pine Knob anyway.

The name change was easy to make because the place had earned its reputation. Pine Knob has long ranked among the busiest amphitheaters in the country, and according to 313 Presents it finished No. 1 in Pollstar’s year-end amphitheater rankings for 2022, after topping the same chart in 2019. With pavilion seats up front and a sprawling lawn behind, it still draws big summer tours to a corner of Oakland County that started out as ski country.