On Saturday, while most of my friends settled down with snacks, drinks and a blanket to watch the Detroit Lions play the Washington Commanders (we all know how that went), I was putting on my thermal leggings, two pairs of gloves and the warmest winter coat I own to attend an outdoor silent disco in downtown Grand Rapids.
The event, put on by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI) as part of their larger World of Winter (WOW) Festival, was held at Calder Plaza free of charge and open to families and people of all ages.
While “Silent Disco” is sort of self-explanatory, allow me to explain.
Upon arrival at Calder Plaza, attendees were presented with a set of headphones that played music from two channels. They were then directed onto the plaza, where DJs mixed a live set under the neon light of the Chronoharp art installation. However, instead of blasting music through speakers, their music played directly into headsets that adorned the crowd, keeping the event’s noise pollution to a minimum. Attendees could switch between the two sets, sashaying between music from lo-fi house beats, to remixed Latino hits, to, as one enthusiastic silent disco dancer described it: “Europop reminiscent of what plays at an Après Ski party in the Swiss Alps.”
Silent discos are not new — they’ve been hosted at music festivals like Bonnaroo and in museums like the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago or the Grand Rapids Art Museum. However, municipal-sponsored silent discos are rare. According to DGRI Event Manager Megan Catcho, the World of Winter event may even be in a league of its own.
“I’ve never seen a city put on a free silent disco… I’ve also never seen a free silent disco before,” Catcho said.
Catcho went on to say that putting on a free event was important to the WOW team so that there would be no barrier to entry for the event. The event was one of many aimed at activating downtown Grand Rapids during cold winter months and getting “more feet on the street”.
World of Winter’s claim to fame is that it is the largest winter festival in the United States. It boasts over 64 art installations, 20 of which are large-scale and interactive, with more than 20 events offered between Jan. 10 and March 2.
Also in attendance at the disco were multi-talented fire dancers, stilt performers and one jetpacked LED-lit mega-robot who was often found in the middle of the crowd dancing with attendees. After taking in a few riveting and jaw-dropping fire dance performances set in the shadow of the iconic Calder statue, I made my way into the main crowd near the DJ set.
It wasn’t long before I ran into friends, and after a few minutes of catching up, we realized we would not last in the cold standing idle. It was a dance-or-die situation and we did not protest.
The mood in the air among disco-goers was relatively calm, a welcome diversion from the normal atmosphere one might associate with some of the electronic beats played that evening. And while spirits were high, conserving energy in the cold was a top priority so dance moves were more subdued. The penguin shuffle was quite popular.
No pop anthems were played, in fact very few songs had lyrics at all. The DJs weren’t pandering to the crowd or using TOP 100 songs to get people on the dance floor. Every dancer, hearing the mix for the first time, approached it with their own fresh moves, making the music accessible to everyone who appreciates a good beat.
My friends and I danced for 2 hours until the event finally came to a close just past 11 p.m. While normally I’d be eager to head home and recharge after a night out dancing, we realized we still had plenty of energy and topics to cover. We headed down Michigan Street to Logan’s Alley where we talked until closing.
While we laughed over hot toddies and old memories, I realized the Silent Disco had accomplished its goal. It brought people together through a novel experience during one of West Michigan’s coldest months and sparked warmth, community and connection - anything but silence.
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