Complex Movements Detroit Summer

A few weeks back, I visited Detroit for the first time. I had known, read and heard about the city for years; some of my best friends are from or have ties to the Motor City. The five days I spent in the D were nothing short of amazing. Larger and much more sprawled out than I imagined, the city had an energy to it that was mesmerizing. I saw a small portion of it during my time there, but already I'm curious and hungry for more.

Part of my Detroit experience was witnessing Complex Movements's "Beware of the Dandelions" live at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Complex Movements is a collective comprised of the MC Invincible, producer/beatsmith Waajeed, graphic designer Wesley Taylor, and multimedia artist Carlos Garcia. The performance was unlike anything I'd ever witnessed.

Combining hip-hop, narrative, multimedia, activism and science theory, Complex Movements creates an immersive experience that relies on the audience to carry the performance to fruition. How often can you say a show engages nearly all of your sense organs (perhaps future versions of the show will add an olfactory component and go five for five), challenging you to think outside your comfort zone while giving you a world-class performance?

The "Beware of the Dandelions" performances are closing out at the Charles H. Wright Museum this weekend. It's completely free, so if you are reading this from the metro Detroit area I behoove you to do yourself a favor and attend. The song we're streaming today is not a Complex Movement track per se, but it is a precursor collaboration between Waajeed and Invincible.