'Seven Nation Army' event in flux as 'Amazing Race' denied Belle Isle permit

Brian McCollum | Detroit Free Press

Plans for a massive Detroit performance of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" are up in the air after organizers were denied an event permit for Belle Isle.

A production team with the CBS-TV reality show "The Amazing Race" was aiming to film hundreds of Detroit musicians simultaneously performing the song at the island park on July 3. A callout was issued Monday seeking singers, guitarists, bassists and drummers to take part in the shoot, though the TV program wasn't identified.

The show's crew had already filed an application to film at Belle Isle, which has operated as a Michigan state park since 2013. But the application didn't indicate the full extent of the project, an official with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) told the Free Press.

"There was an application to do a shoot," said Jason Fleming of the MDNR. "But it didn't mention 1,000 musicians."

MDNR learned of the "Seven Nation Army" aspect only after news reports about the project, and the group's permit was denied on Wednesday.

"We have a review process for all our permits," Fleming said. "We were working on a completely different understanding of what the event was going to be."

The "Seven Nation Army" shoot will likely still happen somewhere in Detroit: Fleming said Belle Isle staffers are helping the production company nail down an alternate site in the city.

The Free Press is seeking comment from representatives with the production team and CBS. The Italian group Rockin' 1000, which was helping organize the "Seven Nation Army" event, has not responded to several requests for information.

It's unclear whether the planned July 3 shoot is part of a bigger Michigan plan for "Amazing Race." A staffer with the Michigan Film & Digital Media Office in Lansing said the office was not aware the show was shooting here.

Monday's "Seven Nation Army" callout asked musicians to audition for the event via video, and said only that the July 3 performance would be filmed for "a TV show on a major U.S. television network." Two sources told the Free Press the program is "The Amazing Race," the long-running contest that sends teams on imaginative, globetrotting scavenger hunts and adventures. Filming on the upcoming season started June 10 in California.

While Belle Isle hosts the Detroit Grand Prix every June, park officials have been increasingly reluctant to approve large-scale events on the site, Fleming said. Metallica's 2013 Orion Music + More festival, the most recent major concert at Belle Isle, damaged a portion of the park grounds, he said, including a much-used soccer field.

Belle Isle officials also recently denied a permit for the Angry Orchard Rock the Roots Music Tour, which earlier this year announced it would be playing the island on July 14. The show has been moved to the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center.

"When it comes to looking at new events like this, we do have a process to ensure the things we're approving will have a benefit to the island and no detriment to the public that uses it," Fleming said.

Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.