I'll be there. Objectively, neither the festival nor the afterparties are all that great, but it's sort of like the county fair or the playoffs -- you go anyway even if you've seen it all before (and usually you get something you haven't seen anyway).
In my view, the afterparties have been on a swift slide downward for the last couple of years. The few good ones tend to get shut down, and otherwise it's mostly the same old mix of promoter grandiosity, uninspiring DJs, trainspotters, celebrity chasers and bored kids. There have been some very notable exceptions; the 430 West party at Johansen Charles, that one out at Grand River and Warren last year (great party until it was shut down at the tragic hour of 1 am), Timeline, a couple in Eastern Market three or four years ago, Tresor at the Transmat building on Gratiot. And I've missed a few classics including a couple Cannonballs and the legendary Three Chairs night at (I believe) Cass Cafe. But it's still less than a dozen that really stand out for me after six years. So my point is, of course I go, and I don't have unrealistic expectations about any of it. As for whether out-of-towners will play with locals who didn't make the festival slate, that's the promoter's call. In fact, just look at the flyers and tell me how you think that works, OK? fh
