One of the things people are starting to associate with my shows is the DIY EDM stage design. Not because I’ve got LED walls, massive lasers, or high-end projectors — hell, I don’t have the budget for that. But because I take cheap, everyday materials and turn them into something that looks and feels like part of the experience.
It’s not about flashy production. It’s about vibe.
Making Something from Nothing
When I did the Bass Cruz show back in 2023, I turned a pop-up canopy frame into a makeshift moon lander for a space-themed night. The whole thing cost about $200 in materials — cheap mylar sheets, odds and ends from Zurcher’s, and some elbow grease from my dad (who always ends up helping me build these crazy ideas). It wasn’t expensive, but it looked damn cool.
At The Awakening, the DIY EDM stage design came from Strange Remains Curio Shop. Jackie and Josh went all out, building a vine-covered, blacklight-reactive, neon-column scene. Flowers with creepy eyeballs, glowing insects hiding in leaves — it was lush, weird, and perfect. They’re also working with me again for Slime Pit, and if their past work is any indication, it’s going to melt minds.
Big Impact, Low Budget
Most of my designs cost less than $200 total. The Slime Pit setup was scaffolding (I own this. I bought it used for $150, about 7 years ago), some fabric, and cheap Home Depot supplies — around $100. At Gem State, all I needed was my light rig and the hanging Gem State sign my dad built out of scrap wood from previous projects. Simple, but it looked phenomenal because the details mattered. Doused in House utilized one of the most basic of DJ stage designs – a facade and some nice uplighting.
For Triforce, I built triangles out of fence planks, threw red mylar and lights behind them (with help from Heather and team), and propped them up around the stage. It looked like something out of Zelda — Death Mountain vibes, spooky and intense — and it only took a few hours to fully assemble. For the 3rd Annual Independence Day Fundraiser, only 3 American Flags were used yet were highly effective.
Why Stage Design Matters
Good stage design doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s about drawing eyeballs to the focal point — making people stop, look closer, and feel part of the world you’ve built for the night. That’s what makes a show memorable.
People romanticize the ‘90s warehouse raves — bare concrete floors, nothing but speakers and decks. And yeah, that raw vibe has its place. But there’s also something magical about a space that’s been dressed up — transformed into something immersive, even with just a few cheap materials and some imagination.
That’s where my stage design philosophy comes from: DIY, low budget, maximum vibe.
AI Editing Disclaimer:
This post was edited with AI for grammar and flow. All ideas, stories, and words are my own.