I've been burned by the promise of live music too many times so I mistakenly wrote it off as another bar with some singer-songwriter crooning about the misfortunes of his or her life.
That is until two weeks ago he told me a legend was taking the stage.
He told me Billy Davis, a mentor to a young Jimmy Hendrix, would be playing after the Ralphe Armstrong Show.
Simply put, I was blown away.
Billy Davis mentored a young Jimmy Hendrix and is a fixture at U Detroit Cafe. Davis, donning a fedora, bright red slacks, even brighter red-leather shoes and a shiny gold shirt was a commanding presence.
He played his wooden Fender Telecaster with as much soul as anyone I've ever seen. Well, anyone not named Eric Clapton.
I was so impressed, I went back the following week, rumor had it, The Funk Brothers were playing.
Founders Mark and Brian Pastoria have been producing music on the third floor of their three-story building in Paradise valley for fifteen years working with artists from Ben Folds Five, Eminem, D12, P. Diddy, Will.I.AM, The Black Crowes and Tori Amos.
Mark even won multiple Grammy Awards for his production work with Aretha Franklin.
When they weren't producing records, the Pastoria brothers would have bands like Days of the New and Mötley Crüe play acoustic sets. It was during one of those sessions where the idea for UDetroit was born.
"One day we asked, what would happen if we brought this downstairs."
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