KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2011 / NEWS
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LAWRENCE
DJ Nick Rivera thrives in local music scene
GARRETT GRIFFIN
ggfriffin@kansan.com
DJ Nick Rivera's advertising methods go beyond passing out fliers and hanging up posters. For one of his recent Granada shows, "Sex with No Babies," Rivera, who's part of a group of local artists named Team Bear Club, passed out more than 3,000 condoms with stickers including information about the performance. And his unique marketing tactics seem to be working.
Rivera is now one of
several DJs involved with the recent "Blackout" parties at the Granada, which feature DJs and live performance art. These days, Rivera plays larger Lawrence venues, such as the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., And The Cave, 1200 Oread Ave. However, the venues he plays at have not always been this glamorous.
"My freshman and sophomore year of college, I would just do house parties. I grinded out tons of house parties, but I never got
paid," Rivera said. "I had a party where my got equipment completely soaked with water when a toilet exploded above me, and I got paid nothing for the whole show. I rocked house parties forever just so I could get to the point where I had a little bit of rep."
Chris Neal/KANSAN
Nick Rivera, a 2010 alumnus, DJs at the Eighth Street Taproom, Friday night. Rivera is part of a group of Lawrence and Topeka artists known as "Team Bear Club" that play at venues like the Granada and The Cave.
After a couple of years of making a name for himself, Rivera got involved with several recurring parties around Lawrence, including the Granada's "Blackout," The Cave's "Rave at the Cave" and The Taproom's "Mingle." Rivera said that he considers Lawrence's atmosphere a factor in his recent success.
"It's great because it's a small town. Big cities have tons of crews ready to replace you," Rivera said, "Plus, people go out in Lawrence to get down, you know? To have fun."
Rivera said that Lawrence was also useful for spreading the word about shows.
"It's just a great place for artists," Rivera said. "It's kind of a small community in Lawrence. Everyone seems to know each other and word of mouth gets around."
Rivera also takes advantage of social media for advertising. Facebook status updates, event pages and tweets all help spread the word about Rivera's shows.
Although Rivera is currently doing well, he is unsure of whether he wants to pursue this career professionally.
"My dream is to do this every day, but, really, I don't know," Rivera said, "It's paying the bills right now."
Rivera's next "Blackout" party will be at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3 at the Granada.
— Edited by Amanda Sorell
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