May 31, 2008

Capacity crowd, zero pretension. On May 31 2008, Ann Arbor’s teen-run Neutral Zone transformed into a sweat-slick dance lab as My Dear Disco—featuring a young Theo Katzman, Michelle Chamuel, Joey Dosik, and friends—shared the bill with local darlings Charlie Slick and 42nd Parallel. Scroll through Niel Dayringer’s vivid photo set, then hit play on the lone surviving camcorder clip of “For Your Love” to feel the room erupt. What you’re hearing is the raw chemistry that would later launch Ella Riot, Vulfpeck, and a string of solo careers. No fancy lights, just future heavy-hitters testing grooves in a youth-center basement—and proving that big things really do start small.