Inside Microsoft's Seattle store at University Village

Can Microsoft win new fans in Silicon Valley? The company is giving it a shot, with some help from Jerry Rice and Maroon 5.

The Redmond company today announced an April 19 opening for its second Silicon Valley store, at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto — with only a Nine West standing between the new Microsoft outlet and an existing Apple store.

It will be the 16th store in Microsoft’s fledgling chain, compared to more than 360 for Apple, which is headquartered in nearby Cupertino.

Continuing its tradition, Microsoft will be bringing in a local celebrity and staging a high-profile concert to help bring people out for the opening. Jerry Rice, the legendary former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, will be on hand for the April 19 event, and Maroon 5 will play a concert on April 21. (The company traditionally gives concert passes to the first people in line, resulting in big crowds camping out overnight.)

Microsoft said last year that it would be opening up to 75 new retail stores over a two- to three-year period. The company opened a new store in October at Seattle’s University Village, across a parking lot from an Apple store.

Previously on GeekWire: Admit it, Apple fans: Microsoft’s stores are pretty darn funMicrosoft’s Seattle store: Wait, you’re not in line for a PC?

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