What a week! If you hadn’t heard by now, I’ve just wrapped up my first BASSMODE event that I ever hosted (curated). What started as a crazy idea stemming from various other nerd party promotions in New York City, has now come into floriation in Baltimore, Maryland. I’ve never did anything like this before, nor do I have any experience in doing anything like this. For me, the concept of BASSMODE didn’t just come from being inspired by NYC nerd parties, it came from a place where I felt indifferent about the future of my former venture. That venture being D&A Anime Blog. (I’ll talk more about that on a later post.)

So, if you’re wondering how the debut event went, it was FIRE! It was everything I thought it was going to turn out to be (in a good way), and I got the opportunity to connect with faces that were both familiar, and brand new. Last weekend’s debut marks the start of something big; something that I believe Baltimore needs since there is still a community of nerds, anime fans, music lovers, and gamers! Although New York has a lot of that in spades, Baltimore’s got BASSMODE, and last weekend was only a taste of what this nerd party promotion can, and will do!

Takeaways From BASSMODE’s Debut Event…

Last Saturday was the busiest day ever, but it was also the most exciting day ever! All of my hard work in promoting, and advertising this BASSMODE event paid off. This event will launch more events like this down the line, but if there’s anything that I’ve learned from taking a risk like this; is that if you don’t go for it while the opportunity is there, you’ll never know what could’ve been.

1. BALTIMORE NEEDS THIS!

When Otakon was in Baltimore, there was a massive community of anime/gaming nerds who flooded the streets and the convention center; blasting the sounds of TM Revolution, Gangnam Style, and anime dance remixes. At one point Baltimore was the ‘hot spot’ for otaku activity, as Otakon was the largest anime convention on the east coast. In 2016 we received the tragic news that Otakon was leaving for Washington, D.C. after the 2016 event was over. Also during that time, another convention was brewing that would launch the start of my other venture with D&A Anime Blog; Animore.

Animore was where I met a couple of the DJs from last weekend’s debut for the first time. For the next five years that convention was home; home to all of the awesome people that Aaron and I encountered, while I was a part of D&A. Then after January 2020, the pandemic happened. There were no cons or after parties anywhere for 2 years, so midway through 2023 (after the pandemic was declared officially over), I started creating the concept for BASSMODE. Long story short, Baltimore is in need of a nerd party promotion like this, and with Otakon and Animore gone, the con and nerd party scene has been rather dry. Khromakon is jumping in to help change that as well, and with BASSMODE and Khromakon together, we’re bringing nerd parties back to B-more!

2. A NEW PLATFORM FOR EMERGING DJs!

Baltimore has a lot of talent if you look hard enough. Baltimore also has some emerging DJs who are looking for opportunities to play at EDM, and electronic music-adjacent shows and festivals. While crafting BASSMODE last year, I was also looking for a way where I can have DJs showcase their skills in front of a crowd, while playing the music and sets they love without judgement. It was then that I decided to have multiple DJs play at my debut event, and not just me spinning music for 4 hours. (Not that I can’t, but that’s way too long to stand in one place!)

Doing it this way also gives new and upcoming DJs a chance to gain live experience playing in front of a crowd. (Which they can use to help build their resume, so they can play at bigger venues and events.) It’s also my way of giving back to not just the nerd community, but the DJ community as well.

3. IT’S BALTIMORE-BASED!

There have been a handful of promotions just like BASSMODE, that have hosted events in Baltimore. However many of them are from other states; such as New York, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C. (not that there’s anything wrong with that). The thing that makes BASSMODE unique is the fact that its a Baltimore-based entertainment promotion. It’s a nerd party promotion that is exclusive to Baltimore, Maryland! There is no other promotion like it in Baltimore, which means that there is ZERO competition, and that we’re a small fish in a big pond.

4. IT GIVES NERDS WHO LIKE TO PARTY SOMETHING TO DO!

Otakon and Animore were the place to be for anime and gaming nerds to either indulge in their passion(s), or party when the sun goes down during a con rave, or an off-site afterparty at a nightclub. Now with those two gone, its left the scene high and dry for nerds who are looking for somewhere to go, and something to do for the weekend. With BASSMODE around, nerds now have a place to let their hair down and turn up on the weekends. It’s why we live by our hashtag #NerdzThrowBettaParties!

5. IT’S A FUSION (HA!!) OF ‘THE CLUB LIFE’, AND NERD CULTURE!

Let’s not kid ourselves. Seeing a geek or a nerd at a nightclub is like seeing a bird flying into a grocery store; its funny and surprising to watch at first, but then you kinda feel sorry for him afterwards. With BASSMODE and other promotions like it in other states, the ‘club life’ has fused with nerd culture. Now nerds who have that party animal inside of them, can finally let loose and be themselves without judgement! It’s truly a great time to be a geek or a nerd; as well as a fan of anime, video games, music, and cosplay.

So will there be more BASSMODE parties?

Yeah, there will! This debut has solidified my confidence in doing this on a long-term basis. Do I want BASSMODE to reach a point where I can have concerts? Yes. Do I want BASSMODE to reach a point where it can have a spinoff anime and gaming convention called BASSMODE CON? Why not! There are so many paths that BASSMODE can take to become the #1 nerd party promotion in Baltimore, but it all kicks off from this debut.

Until the next one, keep spinnin’! 😉