Dancing with sunflowers in her hair and a pink and purple flag in each hand, Hanan Vazanio was feeling the vibe of the Movement festival before most had even arrived Saturday.
This is the third year Vazanio, 30, of Detroit, has come to Movement, a weekend of techno music in the home of techno music — and she loves it.
“This is the feeling of the heart of Detroit, in Detroit,” Vazanio said. “It’s a very visual manifestation of what’s always been the spirit of Detroit. A lot of people have been hearing about it (the city) and now they can feel it.”
The Movement festival at Hart Plaza in Detroit has been a Memorial Day weekend tradition since its 2006 inception, which was a continuation of electronic music festivals at Hart Plaza on Memorial Day weekend dating back to 2000. It’s one of the longest-running dance music events in the world.
People travel from across the country to attend Movement. Jim Soos, 64, and Wences Bruciaga, 47, flew in from San Francisco for their third Movement, and were there early Saturday to enjoy the techno music in the unseasonably cool weather.
“It’s the most important festival of electronic music — but good electronic music,” Bruciaga said. “They really set the vibe of house and techno.”
Soos, who was raised in Detroit and later moved to San Francisco, said they love the city; so much they even honeymooned here for three months several years ago.
This year is the ninth year Beth Stojkev, 40, of New York City, has come to Movement. She said each year, she spends the entire weekend at the festival and goes to after parties. She said she was particularly excited to see Joseph Capriati, who is playing Sunday on the Movement Stage, because he has been out of the scene for some time, and his set got rained out last year.
“I come for the vibes, the culture, the good music, the good sound systems,” Stojkev said.
There are six stages at the festival, each with their own personalities: The Movement Stage, where the big names play; the Waterfront Stage, which showcases a myriad of styles; the Pyramid Stage, marketed as „the perfect summer backdrop“; the Stargate Stage, which is „distinctly Detroit“; the Detroit Stage, which features an all-Detroit lineup; and the Underground Stage, under the main level of Hart Plaza, which offers a warehouse party experience.
Jeff Mills, Charlotte de Witte and John Summit are headlining on the Movement Stage.
Lauren Vellucci, who goes by stage name Loren, is DJing their fifth Movement set from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Waterfront Stage. Loren, who uses the pronoun they, grew up in Metro Detroit and said attending Movement with their sister in 2009 or 2010 was what made them want to DJ in the first place.
“There would be no way I would ever turn down the ability to play a set in the city that created techno music, where it all originated and started from,” Loren said. “It’s an honor to be able to come back. … I’m super honored and I can’t wait.”
Loren said their sister, who died in 2018, introduced them to techno when they were younger and they bonded over it.
Loren first DJ’d in 2018 with a set their mom bought them from a garage sale, they said.
“I love to play house, acid techno, very ‘90s dance influence, very Detroit influence,” Loren said. “It’s very, very Detroit, but also very my own style and new, but old, fresh and pieces of the past, pieces of the future.”
kberg@detroitnews.com