Gatineau resident Steve Martin began DJing at age 13.
But even DJs have to grow up.
“Traditionally, events were held in bars and clubs, but now, they’re moving outside,” he said.
Recalling a conversation he had with a friend recently, he said, “with events held outside, during the day, you don’t need three or four days to recuperate.”
Now 35 with a young family, Martin and co-organizer Martin Michalowski are bringing electronic music outdoors and into the daylight with Fresh Beat, a family-friendly, first-of-its-kind event designed to introduce house music to mainstream Ottawa.
“There are random events, but they’re usually associated with bars,” he said. He wants to make this music accessible to those who don’t usually go to those venues.
The free event runs Aug. 21 from noon to 9 p.m. in Confederation Park and aims to foster Canadian electronic musical talents like James djTR, Mike McAra, Paulo Cardoso, Jason Jesse, Rick Laplante, Chris Falardeau, Jason Lafauci, and Chris Girard.
“One thing about Ottawa is that there are a lot of good producers that are starting to make it pretty big here,” Martin said. “It’s still a niche market, but it’s still big enough to support music like this.”
