Day one had some great acts like Michigan’s emblematic Seth Troxler who packed the main stage’s amphitheater faster than a blink of the eye. He played some top tunes under a hot and steamy day. It was a nice touch that he paid tribute to the late Prince by closing with a remix of “Let’s Go Crazy.” Meanwhile on the Thump stage, Mathew Dear was also in charge of the local duties. He obviously felt the love from his hometown while playing tracks like “Oh Yeah” by Alex Cortex.
Dear was followed by another local favorite, Stacy Pullen, who probably played our favorite set of the weekend. Pullen was really connected to the audience and fully inspired in the moment. His set was packed with some sublime tech house cuts building into pure Detroit techno. As the crowd danced into the night, Pullen delivered Luca Donzelli & Mar-T Remix of “Dance & Bop” and Gary Beck’s “Hands In Mine” who drove the crowd into total frenzy. It was a unique experience full of vibrant energy and musical bliss. After his unique set, it was Carl Craig’s turn to deliver his usual style showcasing what Detroit is all about.
As night fell, the dance-floor became immersed with lights. Maceo Plex cruised through the sunset and left the crowd in perfect tune to enjoy a unique experience with German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk. A source told us that Kraftwerk was approached by Paxahau to perform at the festival and their conditions were to have the huge main stage with the best sound system they could afford. Wishes granted, the group from Düsseldorf composed of Ralf Hütter, Fritz Hilpert, Henning Schmitz, and Falk Grieffenhagen came together and delivered the classics with a 3D show that featured some old school animations of “Autobahn,” “Tour de France,” and “The Robots” to name a few. It was inspiring to witness history as day one came to an end.
