40 Things We Loved at “Movement: Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival” 2012
Words & Photos by Dale Carlson
Another year, another mammoth success. Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival aka “Movement” just gets better and better. Peruse our list of 40 performances, places and things we loved during the festival’s 2012 installment and see if you don’t agree with us.
1. Carl Craig at Detroit Historical Museum, Thursday, May 24th, 9:30-11:00pm. The Detroit Historical Museum celebrates its upcoming $13 million renovation by hosting an opening event for Movement 2012 featuring a performance by former (current??) ‘Movement: DEMF’ creative director Carl Craig.
2. Gathering of Techno Royalty at The Detroit Historical Museum, Woodward & Warren Ave, Thursday, May 24th, 8pm. How often does one get the opportunity to photograph Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Eddie Fowlkes and Carl Craig together?!? How ’bout never?!? Our only question is, “Where’s Derrick?!?”
4. Hart Plaza – Detroit’s premier public space; home to the city’s, nee the WORLD’s, greatest music festival, Movement aka DEMF; designed by Detroit’s own SmithGroup aka Smith, Hinchman & Grylls and completed in 1979. Keep your eyes open for historical markers upon the Plaza grounds that commemorate the Landing of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701 and the birth of the Ford Motor Company 200 years later.
5. Mark Farina, Movement Main Stage, Saturday, May 26th, 3:00-5:00pm. San Francisco’s House music pioneer drops a two-hour set of his juicy “Mushroom Jazz” to open the main stage festivities.
6. Isamu Noguchi‘s Dodge Fountain. The world-famous monumental sculptor left his mark on Detroit in 1979 with this futuristic Hart Plaza centerpiece.
7. “Tale of Us”, Beatport Stage, Saturday, May 26th, 2:30-4:30pm.
8. Tom’s Oyster Bar, 519 East Jefferson Avenue, just east of Beaubien Street. Take a break from your dance marathon to enjoy a delicious bowl of Tom’s famous seafood chowder followed by a beautifully prepared serving of either pan-fried catfish or cheese ravioli with shrimp.
9. “Benoit & Sergio”, Beatport Stage, Saturday, May 26th, 4:30-6:30pm.
10. The Guardian Building, Congress & Griswold Streets. North America’s most beautiful art deco skyscraper stands just blocks away from Hart Plaza. Take advantage of the opportunity to check out this breathtaking crown jewel of Detroit architecture on the first day of future festivals, as it will most likely be closed to the public on Sunday and Memorial Day.
11. Todd Terje, Movement Main Stage, Saturday, May 26th, 6:30-8:00pm. Terje’s “Inspector Norse” gets our vote for the best Electronic Dance track of 2012.
12. “Transcending: The Michigan Labor Legacy Landmark“. On the northern extremes of Hart Plaza, this elaborate public monument created by David Barr and Sergio De Giusti celebrates the history and accomplishments of Michigan workers and labor unions.
13. Derrick Carter, Movement Main Stage, Saturday, May 26th, 8:00pm-10:00pm.
14. Lil’ Louis Photography. We found Louis’ extensive and expressive collection of House Music progenitor portraits just around the corner from the underground stage.
15. Lil’ Louis, Movement Main Stage, Saturday, May 26th, 10:00pm-Midnight.
16. ‘Dirtybird Detroit’ featuring J. Phlip, Justin Martin, Christian Martin and Claude VonStroke at the Leland City Club, Bagley St & Cass Ave, Saturday Night into Sunday Morning. The BEST afterparty of the 2012 DEMF weekend!!
17. Soldiers & Sailors Monument. You can’t miss this aged and essential Detroit public monument on the south side of Campus Martius as you walk north on Woodward in search of post-fest entertainment. It commemorates Detroit and Michigan’s role in the Civil War and was unveiled in 1872. Its sculptor, Randolph Rogers, also sculpted the famous “Columbus Doors” of the National Capitol in Washington, D.C.
18. Maya Jane Coles at the Beatport Stage, Sunday, May 27th, 4:30-6:00pm.
19. Tiki Jim’s Hawaiian Food Hut. Pork purveyors Jim and Debbie Cook of Mason, Michigan experienced success with their first foray into “Movement: DEMF” food service, despite being tucked away in the furthest corner of the Underground Stage’s food pavilion. We hope they’ll be back again next year to serve us another decadent, foot-long “Kalua” Dog, smothered in pulled pork, barbeque sauce, onions and pineapple.
20. Josh Wink, Movement Main Stage, Sunday, May 27th, 6:30-8:00pm.
21. Joe Louis’ Fist sculpture in the middle of the Woodward & Jefferson Avenue intersection. This classic symbol of Detroit was gifted to the city by Sports Illustrated in 1987 and sculpted by Robert Graham.
22. Claude VonStroke, Beatport Stage, Sunday, May 27th, 10:00pm-Midnight.
23. ‘Chicken on a Stick’ & ‘Corn Dog’ Fried Food Hut. A notorious palace of delectable fried deliciousness just northeast of Noguchi’s Dodge Fountain.
24. Public Enemy, Movement Main Stage, Sunday, May 27th, 11:00pm-Midnight. The legends of Hip-Hop came disgustingly correct, taking absolute command of Hart Plaza’s epic main stage.
25. The Renaissance Center. Looming over Hart Plaza twenty-four-seven, this indispensable five-tower work of modern Detroit architecture was designed by John Portman and completed in 1977.
26. Chris Liebing, Movement Main Stage, Monday, May 28th, 7:30-9:00pm.
27. “7 Floors of Light” by Gregory Holm, 1415 Woodward Avenue. We found this creative light show on our way up Woodward, looking for the hottest after parties. It’s not exactly Christo & Jean-Claude, but it is somewhat epic in its own right.
28. Jesse Rose, Underground Stage, Monday, May 28th, 6:00-7:30pm.
29. Swordplay! We found this crazy mofo livin’ it up in the Underground Stage pit/dance floor on Monday afternoon.
30. The Martinez Brothers, Beatport Stage, Monday, May 28th, 6:00-8:00pm. Brothers Chris and Steve hail from NYC and truly brought the funk!
31. McCauley Culkin/Home Alone “MISSING” posters. We’d like to thank the industrious guerrilla artist who took the time to plasters this hilarious and iconic shot of the late-80s child star on utility poles all up and down Jefferson Avenue in the days preceding the festival!
32. araabMUZIK, Red Bull Music Academy Stage, Monday, May 28th, 8:00-9:00pm. Abraham Orellana aka “araabMUZIK” of Providence, Rhode Island plays a live drum machine like a man possessed.
33. Detroit Mini Donut Tent. At the south end of merchant’s row, just northeast of Dodge Fountain, Detroit Mini Donut blew us away with the freshness of their fried-before-your-eyes delectables. Our raging thirst was more than satisfied by the 32-ounce “Motor City Blast” and “Watermelon Lemonade Smasher”.
34. Nadastrom, Red Bull Music Academy Stage, Monday, May 28th, 9:00-10:00pm.
35. The “Spirit of Detroit” sculpture by Detroit’s own Marshall Fredericks. Detroit’s most famous work of public art stands just across the street from Hart Plaza, at the west end of the City-County Building at Woodward & Jefferson Ave.
36. Dillon Francis, Red Bull Music Academy Stage, Monday, May 28th, 10:00-11:00pm. Dubstep the way it was intended to be: smarmy, smart-alecky, dirty and mean.
37. “I Love You But I’ve Chosen” Hydraulic T-Shirt Cannon and Tent. Right next door to Detroit Mini Donut, the “I Love You But I’ve Chosen” crew have firmly established themselves as one of Detroit’s most widely recognized techno-related brand names. Keen observers may have noticed Public Enemy’s DJ sporting one of their “I Love You But I’ve Chosen Techno” T-shirts as he performed before thousands on Sunday night.
38. Major Lazer, Red Bull Music Academy Stage, Monday, May 28th, 11:00-Midnight. No Skerrit Bwoy?!? Really?!? Major Lazer, how could you?!?
39. General depravity, debauchery, filth, chaos, mayhem, ridiculousness and sleaze.
40. Jeff Mills aka “The Wizard”, Movement Main Stage, Monday, May 28th, 10:30pm-Midnight. The native Detroit Grandmaster provides a fittingly manic finale to the greatest weekend of Techno music anywhere in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Stay tuned to I Love Detroit Michigan in the upcoming days and weeks, this post in particular, as we will be regularly adding links to our videos of nearly every musical act cited here! ~I♥DM
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About the author
Dale Carlson grew up along the northeastern shores of Lake Michigan, where at a young age Detroit called out to him in his dreams. In 2008, after extended stays in ten different Michigan cities, the author settled permanently in southeast Oakland County where he currently lives and works in various capacities within the local real estate industry.
