- Just a few months ago, the main room at Detroit's TV Lounge was a deep velvety red adorned with a giant disco ball (fittingly called The Red Room), which would have been an all too appropriate place for Dennis Ferrer to drop his classic of the same name. Alas, The Red Room at TV Lounge was recently transformed into The Chrome Room, and while the lyrics "welcome to The Red Room honey" no longer fit so well, Paxahau's event with the New York soulful house veteran was still a hit.
The Chrome Room and its newly lowered booth has only been open for a few weeks, but it has already created different levels of engagement for the crowd, bringing them closer to the DJ and building an intimate atmosphere. Both Ferrer and Alton Miller, his opening act, seemed pleased with the changes. Miller, an original Detroit house artist, kicked off the evening with a classic soul set, one that gave hints of Motown and euphoric house. His track selection was vocal-heavy, often dipping into swing house and even brief scatters of calypso.
Ferrer started slow and kept his audience on edge, but quickly moved into a faster two-hour selection that also paid homage to Motown. His set was on the heavier side of house and the lighter side of techno, a rare equilibrium that didn't fall neatly into any defined category. He appeared to be enjoying himself just as much as the crowd, dropping seamless remixes of Grandmaster Flash's "White Lines" and Ralphi Rosario's "You Used to Hold Me." The highlight of his performance, however, was a remix of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition"—the perfect tribute to Detroit.