DETROIT, MI -- For the 17th straight year, the Metro Times Blowout has plans to once again rock Metro Detroit.

This year's event takes place April 30-May 3 at various locations and has featured musicians who eventually thrived on a national level like Eminem, The White Stripes, the Dirtbombs and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

All sorts of music genres are once again expected to be represented including electronica, country, blues, hip-hop, dance, folk and acoustic.

A new twist to this year's event is the fact it will happen in three cities simultaneously (Hamtramck, Detroit and Ferndale). Each city will also have its own mini-festival.

All-access wristbands to each night of the Blowout are $25 and can be purchased online. A wristband gets you access to every single showcase in each city.

The Metro Times Blowout kicks off April 30 at the Magic Stick with the Blowout Launch party and continues the following three days with live performances from 300 artists at over 25 venues in Detroit, Hamtramck and Ferndale.

One intriguing band part of the Blowout lineup is Death, an all-black punk rock group from Detroit that starred in the documentary "A Band Called Death."

Death is scheduled to perform 12:45 a.m. May 3 at Detroit's Magic Stick.



This year's venues include: Paycheck's, Smalls, New Dodge Lounge, Painted Lady, Whiskey in the Jar, Kelly's, Celina's Sports Bar, Loving Touch, WAB, Rust Belt Market, Como's, New Way Bar, Found Sound, Ferndale Public Library, Old Miami, Union Street, and Northern Lights Lounge.



"For 17 years, Blowout has celebrated all that is great about Detroit music- the diversity, the technical ability, the grit and the passion," said Brett Callwood, the Metro Times' music and culture editor, in a press release. "The volume of magnificent bands and musicians across the Metro Detroit area continues to be staggering, and to expand.

"It's incredibly exciting that Blowout is expanding to reflect that fact. The biggest and best local music festival is about to get bigger and better."



For more information about the the Metro Times Blowout and the entire music schedule/lineup, visit mtblowout.com.