Turning The EDM Up At Movement

MODERN ROCK

By Kristi Kates | Feb. 25, 2017

Detroit’s internationally renowned electronic music fest, Movement, is returning to Hart Plaza in the Motor City for its three-day run over Memorial Day weekend (May 27–29.) Over 40 acts have been announced for this edition of the event, including deadmau5’s side project, Testpilot, Richie Hawtin, Carl Craig’s Versus Synthesizer Ensemble, The Saunderson Brothers, Ben Sims and more. Check out three-day weekend passes, VIP tickets and general admission rates now online at movement.us.

Lil Wayne has helped launch a new virtual reality music series from Hulu called On Stage with the series’ first episode delving into the rapper’s own musical career, with cameras going along as he prepares for his Lil Weezyana Fest concert event. The short-form series aims to give viewers an in-depth look into the process of how artists craft music and can be viewed both through Hulu’s own VR (virtual reality) app or traditionally on the regular Hulu network; the second episode will follow Major Lazer performing in Jamaica.

In other festival news, the Mo Pop Festival, also in Detroit, is running July 29–30 this summer. Last year’s edition took place at West Riverfront Park (where the event will return this year) and included sets from M83, Father John Misty, and Tunde Olaniran; no acts have been confirmed yet for this year, but the likes of Banners, Bishop Briggs, Arcade Fire and The Weeknd are rumored, so keep your eyes on mopopfestival.com.

Queen and singer Adam Lambert are hitting the road for another tour, this one a long summer venture set to kick off June 23 in Phoenix, Ariz. Lambert, the former American Idol contestant, first teamed up with Queen in 2009 for a performance on the TV singing competition show. The band snapped him up, and he’s been touring with Queen ever since. For its latest outing, Queen promises a “brand new show that will bring [our] history alive in all its passion and glory”; get your tickets now so you can see the whole thing in Detroit at the Palace of Auburn Hills July 20.

MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:
The 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been announced, and among this year’s batch are prog-rock band Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tupac Shakur and Chic founder Nile Rodgers. The ceremonies will take place in Brooklyn, N.Y., in early April and will be recorded for a highlights special that will air later on HBO. Check out all the inductees, both new and old, at rockhall.com.

THE BUZZ:            
Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley has signed a record deal with 300 Entertainment, a record company and management label founded by alumni of Def Jam.
Guided by Voices – minus multi-instrumentalist and northern Michigan resident Tobin Sprout, who is currently busy promoting his latest solo album The Universe and Me – will be in concert at The Magic Stick on Detroit’s Woodward Avenue May 5.
Nickelback, Cheap Trick and Daughtry are going to hit the road together for the Feed the Machine Tour, arriving in Detroit June 24.
Heavy prog-rock band Mastodon is set to release its latest album, Emperor of Sand, Mar. 31; tour dates will include a stop in Detroit May 16.
Kings of Leon’s performance at Detroit’s Fox Theater in late January was canceled when the band’s drummer, Nathan Followill, came down with pneumonia; KOL is on its way back to the Motor City to make up that show Mar. 9; tickets from the January show will be honored on the new date…And that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.