Thank You Detroit, You Were Lovely

Photo Credit: Alec Donnell Luna

This year, the world-renowned Movement Electronic Music Festival, (formerly known as DEMF), celebrated it's tenth anniversary at Hart Plaza in Detroit this past Memorial Day Weekend and, we were there to celebrate. It did so under sunny skies with tens of thousands of guests coming from across North America, both young and old. The crowd was as diverse as we have ever seen at an electronic music event! The weekend was highlighted by relentless sets from and techno heavyweights such as Dubfire, Adam Beyer and Seth Troxler on the main stage and a smattering of more eclectic sub-genre DJ's across 4 other stages. The impressive sound and lighting effects turned the Detroit skyline into the backdrop of what resembled an Ibiza super club.

While the music, production and festival organization was all top notch, it was the hospitality of the local Detroit community and the vibe and attitude of the Movement crowd, that stood out amongst a weekend of great experiences. The city of Detroit, which is the undeniable home of Techno music, has truly done an amazing job at nurturing the underground music scene. So much so that the local community of Detroit, flocked in mass to the festival and surrounding after parties in full force. They are proud of their scene and are more than happy to share it with the world. The generosity, kindness and enthusiasm of the attendants at the festival, as well as the locals supporting the infrastructure of the event(s) was worthy of praise. The taxi/shuttle drivers were willing to pick you up for rides, no matter how short. The hotel staff were more than accommodating and the restaurant servers were eager to hear of the past nights antics while serving up a fresh cup of coffee to get you started on your day's adventure.

Although Detroit may be known as the ‘bankrupt’ or ‘murder’ city to some, we know better. The spirit of Detroit, it’s people and the music scene are most definitely alive and well. It is a city pushing the envelope of traditional electronic sounds being led by young and forward thinking entrepreneurs. Detroit is going through a renaissance era and undoubtedly changing the music scene and the world’s perception of the city. Thank you Detroit, you were lovely!