FLINT, Michigan — If Brandon Corder has his way, Beats x BBQ will become a Memorial Day weekend tradition for Flint. Coming to downtown Flint’s Brush Park, Beats x BBQ will feature five local DJs performing throughout the day alongside some of Flint’s favorite eats served up by Devonte Powell of B.I.C. Café, RJ Johnson of Fried Thangs, as well as chefs Tony Vu of Ma Mang & Chef Joe Boike of Summoned Home.
“The overall goal of it is to combine these different cultures … together with some great music and let everyone, I mean, just have fun,” Corder said.
Beats x BBQ is set to run from 2-8 p.m. May 26 with a DJ lineup including Peter McFray from Club 93.7, DJ Hype, DJ Handlez, DJ AK, and Jayare.
This is the latest in a series of major high profile events brought together in Flint by Corder, a Flint native and music producer who founded the event company Beats x Beers. Corder also brought Wale to the Capitol Theatre in February and he is behind bringing T-Pain to Flint for a free show to cap off Kettering University’s Centennial Fest this summer.
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Also planned for the event are a car and bike show, a dance performance by For the Love of Dance studio, live painting by artist Charles Boike, and a skateboarding demonstration presented by the Brush Alley Skate Shop and SK810. Local clothing brands Bedrock and Eight One Zero also will be featured.
“This is something I want to grow and be and annual thing every Memorial Day weekend in Flint,” Corder said.
Home to the immediately iconic FLINT sign installed last year and an occasional kickball game, Brush Park was created after Genesee Towers was imploded. It also is celebrated as part of Alley Fest every summer, but this is the first major standalone event planned for the park at the corner of First and Harrison streets.
Throughout his career, Corder moved to both New York and Los Angeles. There, the Southwestern Academy grad saw that when people of different backgrounds and cultures came together to simply enjoy themselves, good things happened.
He founded Beets x Beer while living on the West Coast and developed events in Austin, LA, Seattle, and Houston.
“Overall, everything I do, no matter how much I travel around, or whatever the case is, the goal for me is to gather these resources and use them for Flint,” Corder said.
For more information, visit
www.beatsxbeers.com.
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