Thousands of electronic movement fans converged at Hart Plaza downtown Detroit Memorial Day weekend for a celebration of one of the city’s renowned exports: techno music.
While the weather added a misty haze to the foggy stages Saturday and Sunday, festival goers were basking in the sunlight Monday, Memorial Day to listen to bass pounding tracks from some of the most exciting DJs in the world.
Movement attendees who came for the first time said they’ll be back, while longtime Movement goers said the festival is a family tradition.
The Michigan Chronicle caught up rookies and Movement veterans from across Metro Detroit to ask why they came and keep coming back.
It’s Lauryn Hixon’s second Movement, but the first time she’s gone all three days, she says.
Hixon, 24, came for MCR-T and BoyzNoize, plus Zack Fox. Hixon says those curious about Zack Fox’ style should check out one of his sets. Fox is perhaps best known as a comedian and social media savant, but has captured a following playing music as well. F
“The hype is well deserved,” she said.
Fox stopped by Paramita Sound unannounced Sunday afternoon to perform a surprise set.
It’s not just the music that brings Hixon to Hart Plaza over Memorial Day, it’s the vibes, she said. Seeing how creative people are through fashion and music taste is inspiring, Hixon said.
“The other reason I love Movement is it’s a free and non-judgmental space and I like to see what people wear, they’re fashion — I just like to see everyone being themselves. You’re really able to absorb the music and the city of Detroit and it just makes me so happy.”
Hixon watched Carl Craig rip the Movement stage from near the fountain, before Dom Dolla closed out the festival from the same stage.
At the underground stage Monday night, Dutch DJ Ki/Ki sent Chase Anderson and his girlfriend into a trance. Macomb County natives, it’s their first ever Movement festival. Anderson says he’ll be coming back.
“We’ve been waiting to hear Ki/Ki live for a while — this is great stuff,” Anderson told Michigan Chronicle. “It’s hypnotizing.”
Still dancing with his partner, Anderson said he’s attracted to sets where DJs are playing the type of music that allows listeners to close their eyes and escape.
He wasn’t the only one getting lost in the music Monday.
Emma Bengston, 37, of Canton told us that Detroit’s DJ scene is the reason she spent the last six years in a downtown Detroit apartment.
“I’ve been coming off and on since the year they changed the name, I think during after pandemic we got really serious about coming every year,” she said.
DJ Minx’s upbeat house selections, “are everything,” Bengston said.
“Minx is such a queen, seeing her two years ago here completely sparked a house music deep dive for me,” Bengston said. “That’s really the best part of the festival is the discovery. This is a place for real music appreciators and it’s just the best.”
Detroit’s DJ Killa Squid told Michigan Chronicle being added to the Movement lineup feels like you’ve broke through a different ceiling. Killa Squid, who started spinning hip hop records when she began DJing, said her set featuring the Detroit Jit Masters was amazing.
“It feels like more doors will open up for me and that I could finally show people to not box me in,” she said. “I just love music. I don’t have to be assigned to just one genre.”
Squid said her favorite part of her set this year was having House of Jit and Jit Masters performing with her on one stage.
“They really helped set the tone,” Killa Squid said. “It started with Gabby, the Queen of Jit though. I knew I couldn’t do movement without having her up there with me. She’s been there for a lot of my big moments. She’s family.”
