A Smalltown Dubstep Success Story
Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 3:23 am
So - I don't post much on this board- or any board, and my apologies if this doesn't quite fit here- But I do love to keep updated as much as possible about the music like everyone else and love to constantly read whats going on, and also like many others I would assume, I get inspired and look up to the people who've put together such awesome scenes and have been able to grow and expand this music in cities around the world-
When I see insane lineups happening in the UK and even in bigger cities in the US, it can be really frusturating being in a smaller, still growing town in the midwest- For example, Kode 9 came nearby here about a year ago and literally less than a dozen people showed!!!
But anywho- this post is just to hopefully inspire some folks who are maybe in an area struggling for a scene and are just trying to put something together for the music and not much more - I live in town like I know others do where the opprotunity to play dubstep anywhere outside your bedroom is a dream pretty much near impossible let alone even get away with commercial dance music anywhere in town. Just Lil Weezy and Lady he-she Ga Ga
In short- a 20 year old friend of mine has been putting together 'events' around my city of Grand Rapids, MI for about a year now, and pulling numbers into the thousands- just from facebooking and grabbing volunteers and working to obtain pretty much free and available resources. Most have been rather goofy- He's done things like a giant Zombie walk where an est. 5000 people walked the streets of our city on Halloween dressed up as zombies and whatnot. But the numbers have swelled and its all from basically adding friends and setting up an event.
However most recently- he and I with a few others decided to put together an electronic music concert consisting of 5 dj's playing everything from electro, dnb, techouse and dubstep. Each DJ had an hour and we got a great deal on a decent soundsystem and lighting and just went for an all out all ages free event in the heart of our normally pretty quiet city.
This was the result -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5JgIiVxlBY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eH0EB5O ... re=related
Despite rain and several other factors- nearly 3000 people came out and there were plenty of super successful afterparties following all at local bars and venues- There was local and statewide press coverage, radio spots and all sorts of stuff in the week that has followed.
Maybe this is pretty stupid to everyone else- but mainly I just thought it was awesome that some great music that would NEVER reach most people got out there and it was all done damn near free and just from a little work- Hopefully more things like this can happen in other towns-
Cheers- thanks for the long read.
When I see insane lineups happening in the UK and even in bigger cities in the US, it can be really frusturating being in a smaller, still growing town in the midwest- For example, Kode 9 came nearby here about a year ago and literally less than a dozen people showed!!!
But anywho- this post is just to hopefully inspire some folks who are maybe in an area struggling for a scene and are just trying to put something together for the music and not much more - I live in town like I know others do where the opprotunity to play dubstep anywhere outside your bedroom is a dream pretty much near impossible let alone even get away with commercial dance music anywhere in town. Just Lil Weezy and Lady he-she Ga Ga
In short- a 20 year old friend of mine has been putting together 'events' around my city of Grand Rapids, MI for about a year now, and pulling numbers into the thousands- just from facebooking and grabbing volunteers and working to obtain pretty much free and available resources. Most have been rather goofy- He's done things like a giant Zombie walk where an est. 5000 people walked the streets of our city on Halloween dressed up as zombies and whatnot. But the numbers have swelled and its all from basically adding friends and setting up an event.
However most recently- he and I with a few others decided to put together an electronic music concert consisting of 5 dj's playing everything from electro, dnb, techouse and dubstep. Each DJ had an hour and we got a great deal on a decent soundsystem and lighting and just went for an all out all ages free event in the heart of our normally pretty quiet city.
This was the result -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5JgIiVxlBY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eH0EB5O ... re=related
Despite rain and several other factors- nearly 3000 people came out and there were plenty of super successful afterparties following all at local bars and venues- There was local and statewide press coverage, radio spots and all sorts of stuff in the week that has followed.
Maybe this is pretty stupid to everyone else- but mainly I just thought it was awesome that some great music that would NEVER reach most people got out there and it was all done damn near free and just from a little work- Hopefully more things like this can happen in other towns-
Cheers- thanks for the long read.
