After stormy start, MoPop shines through

MoPop Festival hits Riverfront Park

Saint Motel takes the stage at Detroit's MoPop Festival on West Riverfront Park on Sunday, July 26. (Saint Motel/Instagram)

DETROIT – The West Riverfront Park in Detroit is the newest venue available for Detroit concerts, and music festivals. It hosted the MoPop Festival this weekend, a festival that migrated to Detroit from Sterling Heights, bringing big names with it.

The MoPop Festival filled the park on Saturday and Sunday, hosting big names like Modest Mouse, Chromeo, Saint Motel, James Bay, Atlas Genius and Brandon Flowers. One of the bigger acts booked for the festival, Passion Pit, called in sick just days before the festival kicked off. But that wasn't the only adversity this festival would deal with.

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At about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, after some great performances from James Bay and Atlas Genius, the rain started to fall -- in buckets. The heavy downpour persisted over the riverfront park for almost an hour, flooding the main stage area.

The rain ended, and the last two acts were pushed back. At about 8:15 p.m., the rain came back with a vengeance, this time bringing thunder and lightning. The festival organizers instructed visitors to hide out in their cars until the storm passed -- many left altogether.

At about 9:20 p.m., the festival reopened, cutting sets short, and turning the much anticipated Chromeo performance into a DJ set at the second, less flooded stage. It was a tough situation, but MoPop did the best they could with the situation.

The MoPop crew worked through the night to improve ground conditions, laying straw around the main stage. It worked, to their credit.

Day two brought nothing but sunshine -- and MoPop flourished. Perhaps the highlight of the entire weekend, The Front Bottoms and Saint Motel filled the late afternoon slate, entertaining thousands of fans. Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas, a Detroit product, set the stage for the headline act, Modest Mouse, who took the stage around 9:30 on Sunday to close the show.

MoPop was an awesome mix of Detroit's best food, drinks and entertainment. People could be found roaming the river walk, checking out the food trucks and beer tents, or listening to the great music acts. It was packed.

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MoPop is set for a 10-year run at the West Riverfront Park, so stay tuned for big improvements, and bigger names.


About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.