Room 131
Dally in the Alley
Cass Corridor
Saturday, Sept. 12
It’s becoming tradition that Room 131 brings home Dally in the Alley.
The project, led by keyboardist-producer Jon Dixon and drummer Marquis Johnson, is basically a 90-minute sonic journey through deep house, techno, Latin influences, and beyond. As Dixon is laying down beats while simultaneously playing live keys (it’s a feat to watch), Johnson is crashing into his kit. Watching him drum reminds me of watching Animal, the frenetic monster drummer from The Muppets universe. At one point, trumpeter Allen Dennard joined the duo on stage to add some brass to the arrangement (I’ve written about Dennard's excellent live shows on Midbrow before).
Few acts in town add live instrumentation to electronic music as well as Dixon and Johnson as a duo (you can hear a sample of this via their Bandcamp).
Kicking off a few minutes before 9:30 p.m. (it’s a miracle to see a free, community-run festival actually run on time), about 60 folks were scattered around, milling about and wondering what’s next on the main stage to bring home the 49th year of Dally in the Alley.
By the time Dixon’s keys were getting laid down on a house track and Johnson’s drumming kicked in, the stage was packed within minutes with patrons being drawn to the signature Detroit sound.
This duo has been performing this Room 131 project since 2017 but go all the way back to high school when they first met in — you guessed it — Room 131 out of their arts high school in Detroit. Since then, Dixon has gone on to become an international touring musician, performing solo and alongside fellow Detroit legends like Carl Craig at marquee shows in London and beyond.
While Dally in the Alley is one of the main showcases for local talent in Detroit, providing an opportunity for local bands to get on stage and work out the kinks, it’s admittedly a raw, hit-or-miss line-up each year.
There’s always something great to discover. This year, it was no-wave, B-52s-style angular punk of Dori Detroit in the middle of the afternoon at the garden stage.
There’s rarely, however, something as well-rounded and professional as Room 131. That’s a testament to Dixon and Johnson for coming through Dally in the Alley and laying it down as headliners (performers don’t get paid for playing at this festival).
Let’s just go ahead and lock them in as next year’s de facto headliners at the 2027 edition of Dally in the Alley.
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