Now a proven festival attraction set to roll out Bon Iver, The National, St. Vincent and Michigan favorites like Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, Mo Pop takes over downtown Detroit this weekend. Preview highlights and a festival soundtrack at Local Spins.
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If it hasn’t already proven itself as such in the past five years, Mo Pop is certainly recognized as a festival to be reckoned with this year.
Boasting perhaps its most impressive lineup, including internationally-adored acts like Bon Iver, The National, St. Vincent and Daniel Caesar, the riverfront festival returns to downtown Detroit this weekend at West Riverfront Park for its sixth year.
The fest also includes Michigan acts such as Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers, Empty Houses and Shortly. Weekend tickets are still available for $145; day passes are $95. For more ticket info, visit mopopfestival.com.
The festival begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, with headliners Bon Iver and Vince Staples closing out the night. It concludes Sunday with headliners The National and St. Vincent. Sets will alternate between two stages: The Grande Stage and The River Stage.
In case the staggering lineup isn’t quite compelling enough, Local Spins has compiled its Top 5 reasons to check out this year’s Mo Pop Music Festival.
1. Bon Iver – Justin Vernon, the brainchild behind the internationally-revered musical project, Bon Iver, is a true creative pioneer. With his imprint on a diverse range of other artists’ work, including Kanye West, Francis and the Lights and James Blake, as well as crafting a sprawling catalog of his own, including a number of side projects. Vernon’s creative output is as wide as it is deep. Accompanying that high creative output, however, is an unpredictable nature and reclusive tendencies. All that to say,Justin Vernon is playing shows right now, and who knows how long before his next hiatus. He took a four-year break from releasing music and touring between 2012 and 2016, and nearly stopped making music altogether. So a chance to see this creative genius perform is an opportunity to be seized.
2. No Overlapping Sets – A frequent point of frustration at many large music festivals with multiple stages is residual noise from one stage interfering with the live experience of another. It’s obnoxious trying to listen to a solo songwriter play delicate folk songs while a punk-rock band is sound-checking at record volume a couple hundred yards away. This conflict is mostly eliminated at Mo Pop, with sets alternating between stages. This also cuts down on wait times between performances. After a set at The Grande Stage, simply wander over to The River Stage and catch the start of the next set.
3. Scenic Detroit Setting – Mo Pop isn’t simply a music festival that takes place in Detroit. It IS a Detroit music festival. The city itself gives an impressive performance, with its towering skyline and adjacent river setting the signature backdrop.
4. Third Man Records and Other Pop-Up Vendors – A chance to explore Jack White’s one-of-a-kind entrepreneurial venture awaits at Mo Pop. Step into the Third Man Records rolling record store and snag a limited edition, rare, glow-in-the-dark vinyl or whatever. After that, take some time to explore a few other unique spots. Practice your aim at Detroit Dart Club, sample new flavors at the Faygo tent and dine at a plethora of food trucks to your heart’s content.
5. Ticket Prices – At a fraction of what it costs to see other similar festivals, Mo Pop is a definite bargain. Tickets to see Bon Iver, The National or St. Vincent alone would likely run you upwards of $75. At an astonishingly low price of $95 for a day pass, it’s a festival that provides a lot of musical bang for your buck.
MO POP TOP 5 PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY
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