Rolling Stone has an Article on DEMF
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/newsarticle.asp?nid=13975
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DEMF Celebrates Electronica
With the firing two weeks ago of Detroit Electronic
Music Festival founder/creative director Carl Craig,
the event was already draped in controversy. And the
cancellation of some of the festival's biggest names,
including LTJ Bukem and Carl Cox, who pulled out at
the last minute for unconfirmed reasons, didn't help
matters.
And the festival received an added blow on Monday
night when hail and torrential rains forced headliner
Derrick May to cancel his performance. "The last thing
I want to do is send you home. But it looks like
someone else wanted to send you home," May said via
loudspeakers about the storms hovering over Detroit's
Hart Plaza. Juan Atkins -- who along with May and
Kevin Saunderson are considered to be the genre's
founders -- had to leave the stage early as well.
But it was the ousted Craig, also a techno artist, who
had the last word and the last laugh. Craig closed the
free, three-day event, which began on Saturday, by
thanking the crowd who came out in full force --
attendance is expected to surpass last year's one
million mark -- saying, "It was my pleasure to have
you in Hart Plaza. We rocked it and once again showed
that the D is Number One." Finally, during a ceremony
honoring May, Atkins and Saunderson early Monday
evening, Lisa Webb-Sharpe, a city official, took the
stage and paid tribute to Craig. "I want to honor the
person who had the vision to make this happen. He was
bold enough to come forth with the idea and present
the idea to the City of Detroit," said Sharpe, the
group executive for human services.
The comments surprised the audience. DEMF's producers,
Pop Culture Media, dismissed Craig from his contract
for allegedly failing to turn in contracts prior to
the deadline. He is reportedly planning on suing for
breach of contract and defamation of character.
Sharpe's speech was met with a boisterous response as
poncho-draped and umbrella-armed fans took to their
feet, while others punched their fists in the air.
Craig raised his plaque in response to them.
The weekend was filled with an overwhelming show of
support for Craig. Neon stickers reading "I support
Carl Craig" were passed out beginning on Saturday and
on Monday night his fans walked around a huge banner
that said "DEMF=Carl Craig." Others canvassed Hart
Plaza with a petition that they hope will allow Craig
to return.
But Craig's firing -- and the rain -- couldn't ruin
the spirit of the show. The streets of Detroit were
filled with teenagers and those in their young
twenties, dressed in baggy pants, hooded sweatshirts
and visors. The seemingly homogenous crowd turned
diverse in the concrete, multi-level Hart Plaza. Those
with brightly colored hair mingled with Abercrombie
and Fitch-wearing folks who were lured to the festival
by the massive amounts of publicity and, of course,
the music.
German jazz collective Jazzanova, which had been
advertised as performing a DJ set, instead took the
stage with a cast of musicians on Saturday night,
creating one of the stand-out performances of the
weekend. Dwele, whose music is rooted in hip-hop, and
Kid Koala, who integrates children's music into his
performances, were among the other highlights on
Sunday. Laurent Garnier's set paid tribute to Detroit
with a heavy dose of Motown music while John Acquaviva
took his audience for granted by walking away and
talking to friends as the records spun.
New to the event, now in its second year, were giant
screens that incorporated live footage with artsy
video. Many giggled when the Ford Focus logo appeared
within the images -- the company sponsored the Detroit
Electronic Music Festival.
Despite the rain, Inner City seemed to be the biggest
draw of the Festival. Taking the stage with a
ten-piece band, including two dancers and frontman
Kevin Saunderson, they whipped through their
better-known tunes, "Good Life" and "Big Fun."
Saunderson took turns standing behind a computer and
directing the music like an orchestra conductor.
Legendary techno artist Richie Hawtin, otherwise known
as Plastikman, held court in all black clothing and
tiny black-framed glasses, near the booth promoting
his label, Plus 8. Hawtin, who lives across the
Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, performed
during last year's inaugural event. Hawtin explained
that the Detroit Electronic Music Festival is good for
the city and for the genre's reputation.
"In some ways, it's about time for a city in America
[to pay tribute to techno] and what a better city than
Detroit," Hawtin said.
CHRISTINA FUOCO
(May 29, 2001)
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