Why do we love Detroit?
Hey there,
My name is DJ Samsara. I was recently out in Detroit for one of the first times since I graduated Wayne State in 2018. I’ve moved across the country multiple times trying to find my “spot” — a beautiful place with positive dance floors.
Turns out, 35 seconds into the NYE — Eve Pajama Party at Spot Lite, and I finally found my spot. The city it all began in. ( omg is this The Alchemist or what???) I met Steven and TYLR_ — the owner’s of The Detroit I Love— my absolute favorite reference guide to parties and events in Detroit. I have read their blog for years, whenever I was looking for a great time, or writing about events for J’adore Detroit, while I was in college. Their guide to the Detroit social scene and hot-hot dance floors has never once let me down.
I’ve lived and played music in LA, London, Berlin, Austin, Miami, Tulum, NYC — and am finally landing back in Detroit for more than a temporary moment.
Just about every time I’ve been out in other cities (with the exception of the wellness centric and very very wholesome ATX scene) I have been very disappointed in the events and dance floors. No one catches a vibe on the dance floor like the underground scene in Detroit.
Not to be a techno snob, but not a single event has compared to a truly amazing night out in Detroit — especially LA, NYC, and Tulum.
So what makes Detroit so special and truly, in my opinion, the best scene for dance floors in the world?
- What really makes it The Detroit I Love?
- Why do we love Detroit?
After traveling the world and playing music around the globe, I’ve come to the conclusion, Detroit is Techno City and the dance floors here are a rare gift to the world undiscovered by most. Detroit’s music scene is a gem and the most magical space in the world to let loose and catch a vibe.
So what makes Detroit so special and truly, in my opinion, the best scene for dance floors in the world?
I’ve been trying to find the missing pieces to the event puzzle, why are none of these other cities throwing parties like Detroit? Why does this feel weird?
What makes Detroit such a rare place in time and space? I’ve come to the informed conclusion, Detroit has the best dance floors out of every “music scene” in the world… or at least that I have been to so far. I have not gone to a Bali Full Moon Party and that’s just about the only random place in the world I can think of wanting to still check off my list; just to triple check.
Detroit takes my title of The Best Dance Floor in The World. Sincerely, DJ Samsara.
Here’s my list; we would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Join in the conversation so we can give the other cities participation paper plates for trying. lol jk…. (not joking I’ll hand them out myself.)
- Dancing is enough. The music is truly all you need to feel comfortable and lost in the music.
- The community fosters a judgement free atmosphere. Regardless of what you are wearing or how you are dancing, there will always be someone else doing something “weirder” in Detroit. It just blends in. At the NYE Eve Pajama Party, a dance floor sensation was wearing a t-shirt that ironically said “Who Ate All The Pussy”?
- The fashion. Thanks to the plethora of actually reasonably priced thrift stores and independent designers in the city, Detroit has a remarkably unique fashion culture of indie-truly original looks and ensembles.
- The diversity. Thanks to spaces of inclusion like Spot Lite, SPKR BOX, The Eagle, and Queer Detroit, a very diverse community of all races, genders, and ages mix in harmonic ebbs and flows on the dance floor. Peacefully.
- Better music. Enough said. People do not play tacky music in Detroit. DJs do not corrupt the dance floor with Top 40 Tracks or the most popular new song from BeatPort’s top-ten chart.
- The dance floor vibes are… immaculate because there is enough personal space on the dance floors to actually dance! People have the space and safety to zone out and just dance. Like Madonna says Get “Into the Groove”. Music and movement is a meditation when we feel safe enough and hypnotized by the music to let our mind travel while moving freely to the beats and loops without crashing into someone else.
- Authenticity. Rarely have I ever met someone masking their true personality in Detroit. People in the scene are outspoken and will tell you straight up how it is. Sometimes rough, always appreciated.
- You know where to find your friends, which naturally creates a good community of like-minded people. There’s typically two or three good events on the weekend and they are easy to find thanks to The Detroit I Love listings specifically. In New York and LA there are SO MANY EVENTS IN SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES ALL OVER THE CITY it truly gets boring and confusing without seeing the same people frequently or knowing the best party.
- Drinks are never $20.
- The grit and Detroit-Core Aesthetic. People are tough here in Detroit — in a good way. Think Carhartt + Witch Craft, Dignified Blue Collar, and a dash of Burning Man Art Cars.
- People are not chasing their next big break or too self conscious to actually dance. Vibes are never immaculate when people are too in their heads or focused on how they look. Detroit dance floors vibe because people are there for the music to dance. Detroiters are not trying to socially climb a ladder for a promotional role or modeling opportunity.
- People in Detroit are tough and are never too scared to show up at a party in a random venue. Our passion for the music and dance floor takes us to unexpected locations off the beaten path — and we’re all better for that. Detroit events = drop the addy (address 😉 ) and show up with a look . It is protocol and normalized just to do it. Say less. Don’t ask questions, just know the event will be a vibe and show up.
- Detrroit Techno hits harder in the winter when you need to dance for warmth and seratonin. Literally. The DJs I know from out of town that rave about Movement because they’re here for one weekend a year, do not even know the winter techno and house culture. Dancing for warmth is next level here and actually a must to truly experience in Detroit.
Literally no other city compares. Other than Mixmag Lab sets and the actual DJ booth at the Brooklyn Mirage, there is not another space in this world that even relatively compares to Detroit on a good night.
Detroit has the certified best vibes in the world for passionate music fanatics, electronic music lovers, and dancers.
Nothing can compare. Show me the looks, the scenes, the drinks, the people, and the dance floor… check, check, cannot find something better than Detroit, sorry everyone. I triple checked and Detroit is where it’s at for authentic dance music culture.
One lap around the globe since leaving Detroit in 2018 and I can confirm. Stay put and enjoy your own version of Detroit, friends — especially if the dance floor is your remedy to the stressors of the day to day monotony of life.
There’s a reason Detroit is the nucleus and atom bomb of dance music — and almost every other genre. The epicenter for so many great DJs and producers— and let’s not forget a respectable shout out to the other Kings and Queens of their time and genre that have hailed from Detroit city; Eminem, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, The Supremes, Iggy Pop, and so many more.
It’s not just coincidence. There is something wildly special about the roots of Detroit that make the best musicians in the world and pioneers of their genre.
We are so lucky to have Detroit’s music scene. Explore, find out for yourself, and come back to this post 7 years later when you’re done to find out — it’s been here, in Detroit, all along.
Send my love to the dance floor.
XO,
Sincerely,
DJ Samsara