Stop Missing Shows

Broken Social Scene in Detroit

314 users on tonedeaf are tracking Broken Social Scene

Never miss another Broken Social Scene show near Detroit.

Broken Social Scene
Fox Theatre Detroit — Detroit, MI
Tickets+CalendarText Friend

About Broken Social Scene

Broken Social Scene started as Kevin Drew's solo project in Toronto in the late 1990s and grew into this sprawling collective that nobody can quite pin down. The band proper includes Drew, Brendan Canning, and a rotating cast of musicians that sometimes feels like half of the Toronto indie scene showed up to play. Their landmark 2002 album You Forgot It in People established them as people who cared more about textures and weird production choices than conventional song structures. Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl became their calling card—a song that builds from whisper to something almost anthemic without ever getting loud. They've made albums that range from the guitar-heavy brutalism of Self-Titled to the more restrained, orchestral work of Forgiveness Rock Record. Live, they've become known for their willingness to stretch songs and improvise, turning rehearsals into semi-public events. The band's influence on indie rock over two decades has been substantial, mostly because they proved you could be successful while being genuinely weird about it.

Their shows are controlled chaos with eight to twelve people on stage. Expect long instrumental passages where the crowd just watches, intently. The energy builds subtly rather than exploding. People talk less than at typical rock shows, actually paying attention.

Known for Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl, 7/4 (Shorelines), Feels Good, Cause = Time, Handsome Ghost

Broken Social Scene + Detroit

Broken Social Scene rolled through the Majestic Theatre in October, bringing their particular brand of controlled chaos to Detroit. They opened with 'KC Accidental' and worked through material that showcased why they've become essential listening for anyone interested in how indie rock can be both intricate and emotionally direct. The setlist leaned heavily on their catalog, pulling from different eras—'Cause = Time' landed somewhere between math rock and tenderness, while 'Hug of Thunder' showed their ability to build something monumental from quiet beginnings. They closed with 'Major Label Debut (Fast)', which felt like the right way to end things.

Broken Social Scene in Detroit News

Live Music in Detroit

Detroit's music DNA runs through Motown and techno, which means Broken Social Scene—with their orchestral indie rock and endless collaborative ethos—hits different here. The city's learned to appreciate artists who treat a song like a composition rather than a commercial, but there's always been a tension between Detroit's populist music roots and the kind of avant-garde experimentation BSS trades in. Still, the live-music crowd here respects ambition and craft, which is why a band this deliberately difficult can fill a theater.

Detroit road trip to see Broken Social Scene?

Stay in Corktown, where vintage buildings and independent shops give the neighborhood actual character. Dinner at Selden Standard for refined cooking that doesn't announce itself. Spend an afternoon at the Detroit Institute of Arts—the murals and permanent collection justify the trip alone, and the building itself is worth the walk. The city's music history lives in these spaces. Catch the show, then grab late drinks somewhere on Michigan Avenue. You'll understand why Detroit crowds expect rigor from their musicians.

Stop missing shows.

tonedeaf. reads your music library and emails you when artists you actually listen to have shows near Detroit. No app. No ads. No noise.

Sign Up Free