Unless you've been living under a rock I'm sure you've seen an outpour of DJ sets on your TikTok, Instagram Reels feed and YouTube homepages at coffee shops, in living rooms, and every other place that is NOT a club. It, one, speaks to most people's frustrations with nightclubs + club culture: overpriced drinks, expensive sections, and everyone feeling a little bit too cool to move on the dancefloor. Secondly, I think, it's a #recessionindicator that forces event producers like myself to not only consider how we can make sure we're keeping DANCE at the forefront of our parties, but also find unique ways to spice up our events.

Now, I love a good DJ set on YouTube—it's literally how I keep my momentum going on the stairmaster at the gym once a week, but truthfully I never cared for the DJ set-at-random-place digital hype. Alot of the videos I've seen on social media seem to spotlight mediocre blends or STEMS edits that I don't feel paint the full picture of the journey of a musical set from start to finish. The sets I like to watch showcase the DJs but also organic moments of attendees having a good time, not just high shock value moments for likes and clicks.

For that reason, I was skeptical when I realized I was booked for a gig at a streetwear shop, Pillars Chicago. When I was booked, I was told it was for a private event called One Hour Vibes—an intimate kickback experience where DJs play one genre for the hour. My assignment was Amapiano. I had no idea it was at a streetwear store y'all—I do not wear streetwear! I'm not hip to it, whatsoever. It wasn't until I walked up to the address and saw the team rearranging and prepping the store that I understood it to be a Boiler Room-style event.

I mostly wondered if people would dance. Would they stand around and stare at the camera to get their fits off? Or would they genuinely immerse themselves in the music? Thankfully it was a great crowd; a nice mix of socializing and dancing to the Amapiano hits we know and love, plus sounds that were a bit unfamiliar to the crowd. I had a surprisingly fantastic time and am looking forward to another opportunity playing a DJ set in an unconventional space! What I realized is I bring the party wherever I go, so bring the non-nightclubs on! I'm up for the challenge!

On June 7 I'm BACK at Never Have I Ever nightclub though, for another dyasphonic.dance party! Shoutout to Mobeethicc for stepping in for DJ Zuni last party—Zuni will be back for June, along with one of my favorite sound artists Finding Ijeoma! Get your tickets now before prices go up at the door!

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