Through my experiences, I have been to, and seen, many musicians rise and fall with popularity. I have seen the washing in and out of different genres and have met some of the greatest names in the Electronic Dance Music scene. It became important to me to always stay a little ahead of the curve, to try and find a place that expression has always been honored. The one place for me where I cold meld my business oriented mind with my love to creativity and self awareness was through becoming a GoGo dancer in Chicago. While always fighting and clawing from gig to gig, I eventually picked up a job at Spybar, one of the best and most recognized bars int he entire city. having always loved EDM, I had attended concerts for years, always seeing the biggest and brightest shining stars on stage. When working the club industry, you begin to see another side of the industry. The work that goes into putting a show together, hiring talent, performers. I got to see what the smaller names were like, meet the people that strive and actually push the entire industry through. No matter how many concur halls you fill up as a producer or DJ, you, single-handedly, cannot drive the entire genera. the people, the fans, the small time people, they are the ones who push from the bottom, truly supporting the great weight of the industry.
Working at Spybar taught me that. I loved seeing acts like Bingo Players, Deadmau5, Skrillex, the names that are so highly recognized today. I saw many of them before the crashing weight of popularity or pop-recognition took hold. I saw many artists who were one-hit-wonders or who had long since passed their prime and yet still had a following. I decided that no matter what happened to me, i would never abandon this scene and I would cling to it with every fiber of my being. Dancing was my way of giving back to the music that emotionally brought me joy, that through the pilgrimages I often make to shows, concerts, festivals and massives I had found my place and a feeling of belonging that many turn to religion for. I found a place where everyone can embrace their inner child, wear their brightest colors or hide behind a mask. Where there is safety and security in the self, whatever you choose that to be. It's carnivale everyday in EDM, It's halloween and mardi gras. It is your birthday and new years eve. I love that, and by dancing, I performed for these people. I helped to give them the experience of a lifetime, night after night. When I moved to Wisconsin, I feared that I would lose this world I had found, I would lose this connection, and for a time, I did.
To be continued tomorrow.....
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