My brain is still mashed potatoes after a the long weekend at Movement. I’m still hearing auditory hallucinations of unrelenting, techno beats wherever I go. I am still trying to chug as much water as humanly possible to try and make up for all the water I forgot to drink during the festival. I am still seeing the psychedelic screens and flashing lights from the stage every time I close my eyes. This is all to say that the Movement Festival was everything I wanted out of a techno festival and more.
Movement saved the best for last. Yesterday, for me, started with John Summit. I wasn’t expecting to go see his performance but quickly realized when I arrive to his stage that he performs so many of the songs that I have heard floating through the ether at house parties but never knew who the song was by. It was like getting a bonus concert.
The next act was the performance I had been waiting for. Dom Dolla played the perfect set at the perfect time of day. The sun was out but not beating down on everyone to the point that it would have made dancing uncomfortable. I was able to make my way onto his stage to dance next to some guy doling out pulls of 1942 straight from the bottle as more than 30 people danced on stage next to the DJ.
Pro Tip: If you are ever at Movement Festival and you are about to go dance on stage, stop by one of the food vendors first and pick up some chicken on a stick. There is nothing better than dancing on a stage in front of a giant audience, listening to your favorite DJ, while dipping fried chicken on a stick into barbecue sauce.
Back on the Waterfront Stage, DRAMA let their set bleed 30 minutes longer than they were scheduled for, which was fantastic because it meant that I was able to catch the last few of their songs, including the hit they created with Gordon City, You’ve Done Enough. The song’s vocals were performed live by Via Rosa and her back up singers, which added some much needed frontman (*front woman) stage presence at the EDM festival.
Following that, I waited in the “wings” for DuckSauce to take the stage. After what seemed like an eternity of hanging out and watiing for someone to tell me that I was going to have to leave the stage, considering my wristband did not allow stage access, a security guard began walking directly towards me and I knew the jig was up. The security guard paid no mind to me though and instead walked right past me to the stairs to greet A-Trak, one half of DuckSauce as he made his way to his mixer. The DJs performed hip-hop heavy dance music in front of a giant inflatable rubber ducky, and at one point both put on duck bills. Silly? Yes. Unnecessary? Yes. Hype inducing? Absolutely.
In order to cleanse my palate from all the dance music I had listened to over the weekend, I moved over to the official Movement stage to have a seat in the amphitheater and listen to Flying Lotus give me just the right amount of good, relaxing vibes and great hip-hop. Even though it was still very much light outside, I still think that Flying Lotus’ light show was the prettiest of the entire weekend.
In stark contrast to the introspective music Flying Lotus has just lulled me into a trance with, I transitioned into a dark rave cave that I found under the steps leading away from the Movement Stage. The dark room full of lasers made you feel first like you had somehow transported yourself somewhere within The Matrix. The dancers packed like sardines in this darkened area were the heaviest of heavy Trance music poster children. I expected to see pacifiers in every mouth of the gothed-out, parachute pants adorned dancers. I was able to leave the rave cave by following a dark, unused hallway full of empty crates and blackened rooms that tunneled behind the rave cave stages. I had just left The Matrix only to find myself in a scene from Resident Evil.
When I finally exited the rave cave and the creepy hallway, I was surprised to see that it was still light outside and that Detroit-native, Griz, had just started his set. Griz is a good time. He’s happy. He wants you to be happy. He wants his music to make you happy. He performed a couple tracks that he had made solely for Movement just a few days prior. It was the perfect way to end a perfect festival.
I know what you’re thinking, ‘But Kalvin, there were so many performances to come after that. Why’d you leave?’ Listen… You try and hit up 3 days of a techno concert in the summer heat having nothing but chicken on a stick and vodka Red bulls for three days straight, along with after parties that go until 4am each night, and you tell me you wouldn’t need to call it a day a little early. Now, if you’ll excuse me… I am going to go eat a salad and sleep for the next three days.
Written by:
KALVIN LAZARTEPhotography by:
JIMMY GOLDFINGERS