Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Neuendorff.
Cameron, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It’s been four years already since Backroom was created. It actually started in the back of my high school media teacher’s classroom in 2016. Effren Villanueva was my multimedia teacher for three out of my four years of high school and after I graduated in 2015, he encouraged me to stop by his classroom when I had free time and hang out. He taught me how to use CDJ’s and effectively DJ for a crowd. He has a cool program over at Serra High School and we set up a live-streaming DJ broadcast every Friday where we invited the local talent to come and DJ. That’s where it all started, in the back of his classroom. Simple concept but that’s where the name came from. Initially, we went by the backroom official, then backroom productions, and we finally settled on Backroom which I think will be the final name change for the foreseeable future. We stuck to the live-stream broadcasts for a while plus quite a few shows at Bassmnt nightclub that helped us grow a following. Throw a couple of house parties along the way and now we are here! A lot of us were not 21 at the time, so we waited till the majority of us were 21 to start branching out to other bars and venues in the area. Due to the current quarantine in California, we have returned to our roots of DJ live-streams with the help of Effren and his company, SubStation X that he runs with his girlfriend Lisa. We owe a lot of our success to them, their equipment, their experience, and their belief in us.
Has it been a smooth road?
Throwing events and parties can be a tough gig. We are locals; a lot of us have normal jobs, school, family, and other commitments that can make it hard to balance everything. We don’t have any investors or a large surplus of cash lying around so trying to find great talent at an affordable price for us without snubbing the talent of the artist can be a bit tough. We are lucky to have a solid group of fans and members of our organization. Having a close-knit group even though we are a 25 member organization, helps us stay committed to the goals we create and the shows we run. We try to have monthly meetings where we discuss plans, ideas, and music while socializing in a relaxed setting. Keeping a healthy balance between business and pleasure really helps keep everyone focused.
Please tell us about your work.
We are a DJ and producer collective from San Diego. We pride ourselves on creating a welcoming environment for our guests while still creating a killer party that you will never forget. Having the ability to tap into high quality equipment as well as professional streaming equipment is what I think sets us apart. A lot of people attend shows and do not realize that there are entire teams behind the scenes working to make sure the event is running smoothly as well as creating a really cool show. Having quality sound for the music and proper lighting can really set you apart from the next organization. We are working towards the goal of an all original compilation album with music from all of our members. We wanted to release it early this year but decided to make sure all of the work is top-notch. Also, we wanted to throw a quick shout out to our photographers Oscar, Jared, and Amber who have helped us capture some of our favorite moments!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We live in an interesting time. California was put on a stay at home order last month in March. It’s almost May now and it seems like we are in this for the long haul. I’m not sure where the industry will go. The entertainment and service industry seems to be one of the last that will open after the COVID-19 pandemic passes. I have seen a local bar that many groups threw shows to go out of business just this week. Currently, a lot of the industry has moved online. Everything has shifted to Twitch streams and zoom parties. It’s a bit weird but it seems that people are adapting as best as they can. I can’t speak for the venues and bars but I know we are trying our best to continue to put on shows and share music with our platform. The large festival companies like Insomniac are doing a really great job with their live-streams. They have a studio space where they create new stages every week for different themed festivals that they throw. It’s honestly really cool seeing what they are creating right now.
Pricing:
- DJ lessons for $25 an hour
Contact Info:
- Email: backroompromosd@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backroomsd
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backroomsd/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/backroomsd
Image Credit:
Oscar Aquino
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