The Detroit riverfront festival seemed to hit its stride last weekend despite intense heat and some technical glitches. Check out the Local Spins picks for the best and most surprising sets, plus a fresh photo gallery by Anna Sink and images by Tony Norkus.
Pop Celebration: Fans simmered in the heat and frolicked in the sun, especially during Matt and Kim’s set. (Photo/Anna Sink)
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Sometimes, the fondest moments from a music festival experience are best remembered a couple of days removed from the din of amplifiers and the roar of the crowd.
Pop Fun: Thousands turned out for Mo Pop. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Oh, and after you’ve had a chance to cool off and recover from steamy 90-degree weather.
Such is the case with the resplendent Mo Pop Festival 2016 that unfurled Saturday and Sunday in West Riverfront Park in Detroit with tens of thousands of concertgoers — a bunch of them from West Michigan — reveling in the sun and in pop-propelled musical marvels on two stages.
Local Spins was there in full force. We asked our writers and photographers to pick their favorite performances and most surprising under-the-radar sets from the fourth edition of the indie-rock celebration, and the second Mo Pop held on the Detroit riverfront.
MO POP’S TOP POP
M83 (Sunday) – The weekend’s final musical volley was among the best and most anticipated sets at Mo Pop. As photographer Tony Norkus put it, it “seemed like the whole weekend was a build-up” to the French band’s performance. “Most people I talked to were waiting for M83 to play. Seems like everyone there bought tix just to see them. That was a really special show.”
Father John Misty (Photo/Anna Sink)
Matt and Kim (Sunday) — This irreverent, amped-up Brooklyn duo didn’t let sound glitches prevent them from engaging the crowd in wild fashion with everything from beach balls to balloons to boisterous behavior. “Matt & Kim was the best for sure,” said Norkus. “Their energy was over the top.”
Father John Misty (Sunday) – Not only did Maryland indie-folkster Father John Misty sound great, said photographer Anna Sink, but his ability to hold court and keep the huge audience engaged as a solo artist was impressive, especially during his “chill” political ramblings about what’s viewed as entertainment and his frequent fan interchanges. Writer Ricky Olmos called him “wildly entertaining” for fans. He was able to “call them names while somehow still beautifully serenading them.”
Shakey Graves (Sunday) – This Austin performer’s reputation as a wildly entertaining one-man band preceded him. The fact that he also tore it up energetically with a full band made it just that much groovier.
UNDER-THE-RADAR PICKS
Bishop Briggs (Photo/Anna Sink)
Tunde Olaniran (Saturday) – This singularly talented Flint artist’s pop/dance/soul set got moved to a late afternoon slot after Fidlar canceled. Good thing. Writer Troy Reimink said Olaniran “totally owned a crowd that maybe was skeptical.”
Kaleo (Sunday) – Uncorking bluesy rock with stellar vocals, this Icelandic band just plain killed it, playing ahead of Shakey Graves.
Bishop Briggs (Saturday) – Lots of fans were buzzing about this one. British-born, L.A.-based Sarah Grace McLaughlin, aka Bishop Briggs, turned heads with indie-pop that Anna Sink described as “super rock ‘n’ roll and badass.”
PHOTO GALLERY: The People at Mo Pop
Photos by Anna Sink
Photos by Anthony Norkus
Photos by Anthony Norkus
