Movement rumbles with Ludacris, Dom Dolla, DJ Holographic; Liquid Note gets rootsy & more

The holiday weekend kicked off Michigan’s music festival season, with throngs at Detroit’s electronic music spectacle Movement and a bevy of West Michigan events, including a Sounds of the Zoo benefit.

 

SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO GALLERIES FROM SEVERAL SHOWS, FESTIVALS

Memorial Day and Movement have become inextricably linked.

Amid summer-like weather to launch the holiday weekend, the 2024 edition of Detroit’s mammoth electronic music festival roared and rumbled out of the gates on Saturday at Hart Plaza, celebrating all things Detroit and techno with a varied lineup of stars.

There was Stacey Hotwaxx Hale (the Godmother of house music) on the Movement Stage, Detroit’s DJ Holographic debuting her newest track, “Gemini,” at the Pyramid Stage, and an emotional vocal performance by the trio Dames Brown, a tribute to Detroit icon Amp Fidler who passed away in late 2023.

Meanwhile, the Underground Stage saw New York City’s Julia Gover take purists on a high bpm journey of driving techno, followed by the Movement Stage’s blistering set of self-produced dynamic anthems by Dom Dolla.

Of course, there was also rapper Ludacris at the Waterfront Stage, Germany’s Loco Dice at the Stargate Stage and more performances celebrating techno’s “mecca.” The festival continues today and Monday; get a preview and full schedule for Movement Electronic Music Festival at Local Spins here.

PHOTO GALLERY: Movement Day 1 in Detroit
Photos by Michael Mastre

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LIQUID NOTE’S AMERICANA FEST, BRADY LEE

Otsego’s Liquid Note kicked off its outdoor concert season in a renovated space with Brady Lee on Friday and the multi-band Americana Fest on Saturday that featured sets by Deerfield Run, The Smokin’ Dobroleles, Kait Rose & The Thorns, Nicholas James & the Bandwagon and Silver Creek Revival.

PHOTO GALLERY: Americana Fest at Liquid Note (Saturday)
Photos by Derek Ketchum and Zach Hummel

PHOTO GALLERY: Brady Lee at Liquid Note (Friday)
Photos by Derek Ketchum

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SOUNDS OF THE ZOO FUNDRAISER AT BELL’S

Community solidarity is a goal everyone can agree on, but few often act on. GAIN, a fund-raising concert for Sounds of the Zoo held Thursday at Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Cafe was proof of the power of collaboration and communal passion.

Country artist Lindsey King, Sounds of the Zoo founder Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert, blues singer Lisa Chilton and rapper Marquese Allen performed for an enthusiastic, packed house with the accompaniment of Just Jaye.

Sounds of the Zoo, which once again hosts its Kalamazoo festival Sept. 23-29, aims to bolster regional artists, while Just Jaye supports local musicians in production (from songwriting to studio) and performance (as a backing band and setup crew). That made the two a natural pair for Thursday’s event. Kalamazoo screen-printing company, Big Picture Printing, sold shirt designs with proceeds going to Sounds of the Zoo.

Highlights of the evening included King’s bouncy “I Wish You Were Better,” Chilton’s chest-busting vocals, and Quese’s joyous “We All Win,” summing up the evening.

Hudson-Prenkert said the event proved that Sounds of the Zoo was “onto something” by “catching this wave” in the Kalamazoo music scene — helping ensure a bright future for the city, its artists and music lovers. – Cassandra Kipp

PHOTO GALLERY: GAIN at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe (Thursday)
Photos by Derek Ketchum

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The week also saw a tour stop by Bodysnatcher and Spite at Elevation (The Intersection) in Grand Rapids and the Buses by the Beach Bus Benefit, held for the first time at Smiling Acres in Trufant. View a recap of the Bus Benefit’s Day 1 here, with the Bodysnatcher/Spite gallery below.

PHOTO GALLERY: Bodysnatcher, Spite at Elevation (Friday)
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker

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