DJ Rob Perry is on a mission to re-introduce the Capital region to electronica music. To accomplish it, the
Michigan State University (MSU) junior is switching up the scene in
Old Town Lansing with
Switch, an electronic music showcase that gets spinning every Thursday night at the
Spiral nightclub.
“The idea behind this night is to have quality DJs,” says Perry who, after learning about Switch, the national movement to create electronic music nights at local clubs, decided to establish one in Lansing.
“The idea is to switch DJs,” he explains. “It’s a way to network with other DJs and promoters.”
At Spiral Switch nights in Old Town, clubbers dance to electronica, techno and house music spun by Perry and other DJs recruited from Lansing and Detroit. Perry wants to eventually bring Switch DJs from other states to Old Town.
DJ DebutPerry first discovered electronic music when he was in middle school in Royal Oak. Electronica developed in Europe in the late 1970s and started to gain mainstream appeal in the United States during the mid-1990s. However, its popularity began to wane in the early 2000s.
“Since 2008, there has been a resurgence,” says Perry. Advanced computer technology and music software have caused a boom in the production of electronic music. Electronic beats have recently popped up in the music of mainstream artists such as Kanye West , Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.
Perry became a disc jockey while he was still in high school. By the time he was 18, he had saved enough money to buy his first set of turntables.
After practicing in his bedroom for a year, Perry played his first gig at
Mac's Bar on Lansing's
Eastside in 2008. He's also spun at clubs in metro Detroit, where the electronica scene has been strong for years.
Perry debuted Switch night at Spiral in March, creating a weekly outlet for electronica DJs.
“All you have to do is get the word out there and people will come out,” he says. “At this stage, [Switch is] young, but it will get bigger.”
Lansing’s Switch scene is already drawing DJs from outside of the region. Detroit-based
DJ Sherif recently participated in Lansing’s Switch and expects it to continue growing.
“I think there’s room to grow,” he says of the electronic music scene in Lansing. “It takes time to expose people to what they’re not used to.”
Special SpiralIn his search for a venue to launch a new, cutting-edge music night, it’s no surprise that Perry found Spiral. For more than a decade, Spiral has attracted one of the most diverse crowds in Lansing.
“Age range is 18 to 50,” says manager Darren Canejo. “Gay, straight, lesbian. You name it, it’s here.”
“I like that everyone knows everyone and you never feel out of place,” says MSU student Jaret Bozigian of Spiral.
Lansing native Rebecca Markham has been going to Spiral for more than 12 years. “You can be open here. You can be whatever you want to be,” she explains. “Not a lot of people put a front up [at Spiral]. It’s not about how you look or how much money you have. The people here are just looking to have a good time.”
This is the atmosphere that appeals to Perry. “Spiral is the only place in the area that offers something unique and new,” he says. Although at the time, he was too young to have been there himself, Spiral was the place for electronica during the scene‘s heyday in the early 2000s.
Other factors that make Spiral a DJ’s dream is the club’s high quality sound system and setup. Spiral is separated into three different sections — the main bar, the dance floor and the patio. This arrangement allows for three different DJs to spin simultaneously.
Three months after Switch was launched, Spiral’s crowd numbers were up.
Finding FansMason residents Julie Boerema, Elaine Kilgore and Hannah Rentfrow attended Spiral for the first time in June.
Although none of the girls had had much exposure to electronica before Switch, they say the experience was enjoyable. “The music is amazing,” says Boerma.
Spiral regulars also enjoy the unique music of Switch. “It’s upbeat and different,” says bartender Dirk Croftchik.
MSU student Steve Johnson says the music played at Switch (and at Spiral in general) reminds him of the techno and underground dance music played at dance clubs in his native Florida. He feels more at home at Spiral than he does at other area bars and clubs, where Top 40 dominates.
Ultimately, though, he feels that it's the people that make the club. “I come out for the crowd,” says Johnson.
When Switch innovator DJ Perry finishes his communications degree at MSU, he will continue DJing and hopes to eventually produce music. He has no plans of relocating, explaining it is absolutely possible to hone his craft in Michigan.
“Detroit and Michigan have a great history of electronic music,” he says.
And if Perry and the other Switch DJs and fans have anything to say about it, Lansing will be a part of electronica’s future.
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Sandra Miska is a freelance writer from East Lansing.
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.
Photos:
DJ Rob Perry at Spiral Dance Bar
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie