Crash Detroit is a family-friendly music festival bringing eight of the best street bands from across the United States to perform live music immersed within the audience.
This year, the festival on July 18 will be hosted at Corktown’s Roosevelt Park from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. The concept has gotten a lot of attention and has opened doors for bands outside of Michigan this year.
Crash Detroit is organized by the well known Detroit Party Marching Band, particularly known for their abrupt but suave appearances across Detroit’s famous coffee shops and restaurants where they put on a quick show for the guests, most times without warning.
Personally having witnessing this, I can tell you it is one of those unexpected “time to turn-up” moments that really makes whatever you were doing that much more exciting.
Crash Detroit is based in the street band tradition, where live brass bands perform and attract crowds in unlicensed street performances and features some of the Midwest’s most acclaimed bands in the genre. The main festival on Saturday will feature bands with as many as a dozen performers, food trucks, and fun all held in Roosevelt Park in front of the iconic Michigan Central Station. No cost of admission.
“Our goal is to offer a totally unique musical experience for the crowd and to grow the brass band scene in Detroit and around the rest of the Midwest,” says Crash Detroit organizer and Detroit Party Marching Band Member James Hartrick. “There are no stages or amplification – all performances will blur the line between audience and performers.”
Crash Detroit will feature local and national street bands including Jefferson Street Parade Band, Gabriel Brass Band, Environmental Encroachment, Extraordinary Rendition Band, Rhyta Musik, The James Cornish Ensemble, Detroit Party Marching Band and Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure Society Brass Band; as well as renowned Detroit performance artist, Satori Circus. Visit www.crashdetroit.org for the full schedule of performances.
In true street band tradition, the festival’s performing bands will be playing impromptu performances throughout the city on the evening of Friday, July 17. While the performances will be spontaneous, audience members can catch up with the performers as tentative locations will be released the day before and are live tweeted throughout Friday night.
“We are looking to bring the city of Detroit alive on Friday with seven simultaneous impromptu performances,” says Hartrick. “We hope audience members will share the unique experience of this music, both in concert on Saturday and in the streets on Friday.”
Looking for more to do this weekend? Check out our new City 5 Podcast:
