While you might think of house music as a repetitive, monotonous beat, the complex genre of music is much more than just a sound. Hailing from our very own Midwest, house music uses disco, pop music, and jazz influences to enliven audiences since it’s Chicago warehouse roots in the 80s.
If you are looking for a chance to experience the good vibes, great sound, and ultimate sensory-experience of a group of strangers all moving in rhythm together, this summer offers the perfect chance try a new way to party, during TECH-LEDO 2. This indoor-outdoor electronic music and arts festival will be free for the first time, promising a full day of fun times on Saturday, August 15 at Forrester’s on the River.
Plugging in
TECH-LEDO is organized by local DJ Dennis Cox, who wants to use his passion for electronic music to elevate Toledo’s local music experience. Cox has been DJing since ‘94, and has experience helping with the world-famous Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF), now called Movement, and he has DJ’d the festival three times in the past. To make TECH-LEDO happen, Cox self-funds the festival, from the ground up. “I’m setting up the stages myself, some of my friends are helping to bring in equipment, but I’m the main organizer,” said Cox.
For those unfamiliar with techno, TECH-LEDO provides a totally-free, no-strings-attached experience for newbies to get into the groove. Guests can anticipate a whole day of over 20 DJs, which will play a wide range of house-derived music— offering the perfect chance for a mini-history lesson of one of the Midwest’s biggest cultural exports, which has provided electro with the ground it needed to take over pop music and enter the mainstream.
Those unfamiliar shouldn’t expect a repetitive beat— house music is more than just something to dance to, it’s a soundscape of rhythms and tones. House DJs feel out the crowd, taking the dance floor’s temperature to keep the partying going— the DJ might chill out the tired feet of dancers by giving them a more down-tempo, atmospheric deep-house, or they might opt to hype up the excited crowd with fast-paced techno, which was developed 45 minutes north in Detroit.
Cox’s experience with DEMF inspired him to enliven Toledo’s love for house music. “Last year and we had about 400 people show up to TECH-LEDO. It was a really good vibe and a lot of great people came out,” said Cox.
Amplifying the sound
This year, admission to TECH-LEDO 2 is free and many passionate artists are donating their time to make this event special. TECH-LEDO 2 is a great opportunity to see top level DJs from Detroit and beyond. “A lot of the festival’s DJs charge quite a bit of money when they travel and they’re all coming in for free,” said Cox.
Cox also hopes this event will help to vitalize and galvanize the Toledo’s electronic music community. “The plan is to try and make it big,” said Cox, who added more DJs this year. The increased public response indicates that the turnout is expected to be greater than last year.
The performers Cox is most excited about are Mike “Agent X” Clark and Derrick Thompson AKA Drivetrain from Detroit, as well as Toledo local Boomer “Omegaman” Reynolds. There will be many other great DJs representing Detroit, Toledo, and beyond. Cox will be performing a set as well.
The DJs will mostly be spinning Detroit techno and house. Though these will be the predominant genres featured at TECH-LEDO, Cox says, “there will be some drum and bass, maybe a little dubstep.”
To heighten the festival’s sensory experience, the works of local visual artists Larry Wade, Nate Masternak, Madison Roy, and Matthew Blake will also be featured.
2pm-2:30am Saturday, August 15. Forrester’s on the River, 26 Main St. 419-681-2626.
RSVP online at facebook.com/events/1604673029812357
