"Assembling often, spontaneously, and where you least expect it" is the tagline on the
Detroit Party Marching Band's website. It is also the best way to describe this cultural phenomena happening in Detroit on a regular basis, but always at an unpredictable location. This spontaneity is what's elevated this group to cult proportions in Detroit as friends in the D share urban stories of the time this act marched into a bar and instantly created a real-time transformative performance for the ages. It might seem like a tall tale, but the hype is true.
There are rare occasions in our personal history where such an appearance has changed the attitude of a room instantly. This night, it is all about the power of the marching band. I am so excited to see that they will be launching from
The DAAC location where they will perform a concert before popping up in other places around town. The same night, another Detroit mainstay shares a debut in our town, but around the corner at The Pyramid Scheme.
When Paxahau's international electronic music festival, Movement, opens in Detroit this Memorial Day weekend, it will do so after riding a wave of pre-event satellite parties all around the Midwest as way to educate, but most importantly present an energetic preview of their annual event at Hart Plaza.
Paxahau's umbrella of guest DJs -- including Kenneth Thomas and Dan Bain (Detroit), Duky (Grand Rapids), and Alexander Roelandt (Kalamazoo) -- will take over the Pyramid Scheme's dance floor as part of the second annual
TEDxGrandRapids Music Showcase this Thursday.
"This lineup is inspired by former Detroit DJ/musician Richie Hawtin's CNTRL: Beyond EDM fall 2012 tour. For TEDxGR 2013, the talent team wanted to book a unique event with the same Hawtin tour feel," says Todd Ernst. "Paxahau was looking to host a pre-Movement kick-off party in our city and TEDxGR, whose 2013 theme is Tag You're It, proved to be just the partner with the energy to pull in electronic dance DJs from some of our biggest cities in our state.”
With this much Detroit cultural influence debuting in our town on the same night, it would a crime to miss out on the urban magic and excitement just waiting to be discovered.
Admission: The Pyramid Scheme: 21+ $6, 18+ $10 / TEDxGR badge holders admitted for free. The DAAC: $7.