Detroit made history on Thanksgiving when two of its most defining artists, Eminem and Jack White, finally stepped onstage together for the first time.
The meeting happened under the lights of Ford Field during the Detroit Lions’ annual Thanksgiving Day Classic, turning the halftime break into a full scale hometown event, the show was co-executive produced by Eminem and longtime manager Paul Rosenberg, setting the tone for something bigger than the usual NFL spectacle.
White kicked off his seven minute performance with ‘That’s How I’m Feeling’, but the energy shifted dramatically mid set when Eminem walked out in a hoodie and a custom Lions jacket.
The crowd erupted as the pair launched into a mashup of ‘Till I Collapse’ and The White Stripes’ ‘Hello Operator’, before closing with the ever-present stadium anthem ‘Seven Nation Army’.
The collaboration landed just weeks after The White Stripes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and lined up with the 10 year anniversary of White’s Third Man Records Detroit location. Eminem earned his Rock Hall spot back in 2022, making the moment feel like a long overdue merging of two eras of Motor City influence.
White leaned into Lions blue with a matching guitar, while his rhythm section wore team gear, “I love you Detroit,” he shouted as the final feedback washed across a pit packed with 400 season ticket holders who volunteered to be part of the production.
Ford Field had been pumping Detroit tracks throughout the game, ‘Seven Nation Army’ right before kickoff, White’s ‘Taking Me Back’ during breaks, and ‘Till I Collapse’ as hype music. The halftime show also served as the launch of a new three year partnership between the Lions, Jesse Collins Entertainment, and Eminem/Rosenberg, the same team behind the 2024 Michigan Central grand opening concert.
Unfortunately for Lions fans, their team would fall short (24-31) but for Detroit music lovers? Nothing but the back of the net!
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