Open Decks Are Where Scenes Start

Last week I played open decks at La Récré, and I've been thinking about it since.

The vibe was fire and it was moving through all of us there, participating and those on the floor. It wasn't a huge gathering but it was a gathering of people for the love of music and dance.

I've been to a lot of open decks with Cyber Love Garden. Open decks give you a place to comingle with other music lovers and gives you a chance to play for a live audience, and you get to do this on club equipment. This can be a very eye opening experience for many newcomers. A bedroom producer hears their own track, and DJ's get to mix on a larger system than just their own bookshelf speakers.

Nobody is carrying the whole night so there's room to try things, mess up a transition, and learn from it in front of people who get it. Two people who've never met end up going back-to-back. It's a vibe, it's creativity.

Right now Montreal is really missing this.

Where artists actually learn

You can practice at home forever, but playing a room is a different skill. You have to read a crowd, deal with monitors, handle nerves, and overheat in a booth. Club equipment is expensive and hard to get time on. Open decks give newer DJs access to gear and a full setting without the pressure of a booked gig where a promoter's night depends on them.

This allows them to try something new without having to worry about that god awful transition ruining the night (not that would happen anyways, but the worry is there!)

Open decks is where the scene brings in newbies

Open decks are one of the few places where someone with no following can get heard. They're how collectives meet future members, and how people who'd never cross paths end up collaborating to make something unique and special. These things can come together and push music forward into new territory.

Where community happens

The best open decks nights have such a hang out vibe. People cheer each other on, swap tips, and trade USBs. That's what nourishes a local scene over the long term, the regular, low-stakes places where people keep showing up. All this can build a larger community around your club a lot easier than competing for the best sound system or biggest names.

So: more of this, please

Thanks to La Récré and @_playdead__ for making space for it. To venues and promoters in Montreal: if you have a quiet weeknight and a working setup, consider running an open decks. To anyone who's been practicing in their room and thinking about joining an open decks night: sign up. Everyone in that booth started somewhere and everyone is welcome to these types of events to have fun and feel the vibe.

#opendecks #DJ #DJCommunity #Montreal #DJlife

If you already do run an open decks night or know of a place that does, please leave a comment!