Microsoft opened its brand new retail store in Seattle on Thursday.

The new retail store is housed in University Village and The Black Keys rock band will be on hand to perform a concert for lucky visitors to the store tomorrow. Tickets were first come first serve and Seattle residents were able to secure them by visiting the store early this morning. The tickets drew large crowds (see above) and interest in Microsoft’s twelfth store. Microsoft is also handing out $1 million in software grants to three local organizations. Customers can vote on Microsoft’s Facebook page to determine how the grants are split between TreeHouse, Washington STEM and the YMCA of Greater Seattle.

Microsoft’s latest store in Seattle will see the company go head-to-head with Apple once more. Apple has a retail store in University Village too. Microsoft typically choses locations near to Apple Stores and has followed the same trend with Seattle. Microsoft is also planning to open a new store in Santa Clara next month in Westfield Valley Fair on November 10.Apple has a store in Valley Fair too, which originally opened in November 2001. Microsoft’s Santa Clara store will be the fifth store to open in California.

Microsoft’s Kevin Turner, chief operating officer, revealed recently that the company plans to expand its stores across the United States within the next few years. Turner showed off a map of the new stores dotted across the United States. Microsoft currently has 11 stores open in the United States. The software giant held a grand opening ceremony for its eleventh Microsoft Store recently. The store, located in the Westfield Century City mall in Los Angeles, California, was opened by Turner. Microsoft presented more than $1 million in software grants to local organizations as part of the grand opening ceremony in July.

Microsoft’s new 75 stores appear to be spread across the east and west coast of the United States. The company is rumored to be launching stores in New York and Orlando later this year too. The Microsoft Stores offer all of the Microsoft products found through online retailers and inside major retail chains, including keyboards and mice, Windows 7, Xbox 360 and many more products. Apple currently has 245 stores in the United States alone, and 357 total stores worldwide, including 33 in the UK and 22 in Canada.

Image Credit: @sugco, video credit: GeekWire.com