“When you go to an EDM show, there’s an opportunity to totally lose yourself in the music and the movement,” explains Tristan Fellenz. (EDM, by the way, stands for Electronic Dance Music.) “But you’re not alone on the dance floor, you are very much connected to everyone else in the room. That’s one of the things that really attracted me to EDM, the sense of community and shared experience. If you truly give yourself over to the beat, it can be so uplifting and transforming.”
This is just a hint of what attendees can expect at the upcoming “Kinetic Pulse” EDM show at the Ohio Theater on April 25th. The show starts at 9:30 and will go as late as the mood takes everyone. The show is free, and there will be a cash bar, so it is 21 and older.
The duo producing the show is Tristan and his friend Ryan Wells, with lots of encouragement and help from the good folks at the Ohio Theater. “This is actually our third Kinetic Pulse show,” says Ryan, “the other two were at the Electric Lady. We’re excited to be in the Ohio with the larger space and the theater vibe. It should be a totally different feeling.”
Tristan continues, “We’ve also done a couple shows at the 1st Street Saloon, but we felt like we needed to adjust the music mix a bit for that smaller bar space. At the Ohio we’ll be able to go all out with the big sound and the fully immersive experience.”
Ryan works at Bulk Truck and Transport in Hanover, and Tristan can be found many nights at Off Broadway Taproom. “These EDM shows are something we do in our spare time,” relates Ryan. “But make no mistake, it’s a pretty big undertaking to put these shows on, lots of set up with the sound equipment and special lighting, and then getting the word out.”
Elizabeth Auxier, board member at the Ohio Theater adds, “We have an organizational goal at the Ohio to reach and engage with more young people, and this show is a great fit with our mission. These guys are putting in a lot of effort and personal time to make this happen. You can see the passion they have for this kind of show, and their desire to share it with as many new folks as possible.”
“We hear from a lot of young people in town that there’s not really a place where they can go and just dance and kind of let loose,” says Tristan. “We want to fix that. We’re doing this as a free on April 25th so we can attract as many people as possible and hopefully build a following and enthusiasm for EDM events. Eventually, if things go well and we start to create a local EDM scene, we can expand the offering and hire out-of-town DJs to come in.”
When I asked Ryan to give his short pitch of why someone would want to come to their event, he said, “It’s a chance to dance to something other than classic rock, which is what most of the bars tend to offer. It’s high energy, it’s loud, and it’s a visual spectacle as well.”
Tristan chimed in, “My experience with EDM has been so positive and uplifting, just the sense of community it provides. It’s a way for people to come together on the dance floor and let go of their worries for a few hours. It’s free, it’s open to everyone, why wouldn’t you come and give it a try?”
HOT TIP OF THE WEEK
When I received this week’s music calendar info from Crystal up at Tailgators bar on the hilltop, I noticed Saturday night it said “Pillow Fight” from 9pm to 1am. Now, I know they’ve done a lot of fun things at Tailgators, like Singo Bingo, and Karaoke and pool tournaments, just to name a few. So I immediately started to envision some kind of adult sanctioned pillow fight, with teams and feathers in the air and trophies at the end. But alas (and probably for the best) Pillow Fight is the name of a band, playing for the first time in Madison, and Crystal says they are quite good … country, rock, blues, all the good-time favorites. Go check them out! Lots going on downtown too, as always, with all your favorite players and bands providing the jams for your enjoyment. Never an “off” weekend in Indiana’s Music City.
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