Posts

Populux Detroit Now Permanently Closed Following Twitter Controversy

/in /by

Populux Detroit

News has just come in that Populux is permanently closing following the Twitter controversy that made headlines two weeks ago. The Detroit nightclub came under fire after its Twitter account was used to send out tweets and retweets criticizing Black Lives Matter, liberals and President Obama for the Dallas shooting that left five police dead on July 7th.

Initially the club announced a temporary closure, claiming that their Twitter account had been hacked and used by an unknown individual to send out the fiery tweets. At that point, the club proceeded to shut down all its social media accounts.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Populux is now permanently closed and set to be replaced by the Magic Stick — the venue that resided in the same space until 15 months ago when Populux first opened. According to Amir Daiza, the longtime promoter and restaurateur who operated Populux, the twitter fiasco— which drew national attention and prompted artists to cancel in protest — was the final straw for a venue already under fire from some corners of the local music community.

“We want to catch the perpetrator,” mentioned Dave Zainea, whose family owns the Majestic complex in Detroit. “We think it was done deliberately to get back at (Populux) management.” According to the Detroit Free Press, a “John Doe” lawsuit was filed Monday in Wayne County Circuit Court, paving the way for a subpoena process that could force Internet providers to divulge names of individuals who accessed the Populux Twitter account that night.

The White Stripes playing the Magic Stick on Sept 10th, 1999

The White Stripes playing the Magic Stick on Sept 10th, 1999

 

It’s clear that all parties concerned deemed the Populux name as unsolvable following the scandal, deciding to bring back the Magic Stick name that for two decades was linked to alternative music and local Detroit-bred rock. The venue will no longer cater to electronic music, and will undergo a make-over until September to ready it for the rock crowd it is set to welcome once it reopens.

According to Zainea, the closure could result in up to $300,000 in lost sales.

Theo Parrish Asks Industry Peers to Speak Up Against Racism

/in /by

Theo Parrish 1

The past week or so has been heated with debate on matters pertaining to racism, racial prejudice and the role of police with regards to the abuse suffered by African Americans in the United States.

As far as the electronic music industry is concerned, we have seen several DJs such as Seth Troxler, Derrick Carter, The Black Madonna and Eats Everything get involved with their views on the matter, calling out the ingrained racism that African Americans are subjected to in this country. We have also seen Detroit’s Populux nightclub get involved in a Twitter scandal after their official Twitter account expressed anti-Black Lives Matter rhetoric via original tweets and retweets. Although the club alleged that its account was hacked, it has since shut down all its social media accounts and the venue itself is under temporary closure pending investigation on the matter.

Theo Parrish, however, thinks that the electronic music industry at large hasn’t stepped up adequately on the current debate. In a status posted on his Facebook artist page, the Washington D.C. born and Chicago raised producer and DJ expressed his embarrassment at what he defines as “lack of overt commentary from this art form.” Parrish is alluding to the heated debates sparked by the recent killing of two African American men at the hand of police, the resulting protests in several American cities and the fatal shooting of five Dallas cops this past Thursday evening.

In his post, he clearly questions the lack of action from some of his colleagues, “Somehow you better realize when the music you’re dancing to comes from people that have been exploited, the best tribute you can have is setting yourself loose in unity with the exploited. How do you do that when on the same weekend you’re playing, in the same city, a man just like you has quietly, arbitrarily, been silenced by one paid to protect him and the public? ” 

Read the full statement from Parrish below.

Connect with Theo Parrish: Online | Resident Advisor | Facebook |Â