Las Vegas Weekly

July 12, 2009 · 1 PM

Locals need love tonight

By Deanna Rilling

DJs Brett Rubin, Mike Remedy and Demarco Cruz

The locals really need your love. And your votes. Three Vegas DJs are competing for an opening spot at Perfecto at Rain, but they need your help to take the tables.

Every Tuesday, Local Love takes place in the intimate Satellite Bar at Moon and showcases Vegas’ up-and-coming talent. Typically spinning underground house and electro, fans of EDM come out to support their hometown heroes and snag free mixes from each week’s featured DJ.

But it’s more than just fun and games; DJs have also been working their way up the ranks to earn coveted gigs at Palms’ nightclubs. Thusfar, three rounds have yielded winners based on talent and ability to draw a crowd. Brett Rubin, Mike Remedy and Demarco Cruz will go head-to-head Sunday night during the Goodlife party at Moon in hopes of playing an opening spot at Paul Oakenfold’s Perfecto.

“I think it’s great,” says Rubin of the Local Love party and competition. “The N9NE Group is doing a good job at getting the guys out there and it’s smart because they have different guys each week.” As the round 1 winner, Rubin is the most seasoned DJ on the bill Sunday night. He’s opened for Oakenfold in the past, in addition to playing with industry heavyweights such as Bob Sinclar and Danny Tenaglia.

Remedy has been spinning in Vegas about three and a half years and took the Round 2 honors. “It’s just so competitive [in Vegas], so as often as you can get your name out there it can really help,” he says. “To be associated with the Palms is incredible.”

If he were to win the Perfecto gig, Remedy says, it’d be the highlight of his career so far. “Perfecto really brings out the best DJs in the world, so to be up there playing with top DJs is just incredible.”

The new kid on the block is Round 3 winner Demarco Cruz, who’s first gig was at Local Love only a few months ago. “It was indescribable when they told me I was going to play,” says Cruz of spinning at Moon. “When they told me I was the winner, I was speechless.”

What will it take to win the final showdown? Crowd participation will definitely be key. All three competitors stressed the importance of clubgoers remaining at Moon until the judging at 3 a.m. (Doors open at 10:30 p.m. with an opening set by Jordan Stevens, so be prepared to party for the long haul.)

“I have a day job, too, and I know how tough it can be to stay out late on a Sunday, but I have a good group of people that have supported me over the years,” says Remedy, who’s set is from 1-2 a.m.

Cruz goes on first at midnight and admits he’s nervous as the rookie. “I’m just going to have to hope my people are dedicated and they hear the passion and like my vibe,” he says.

“I’ve got the later time slot, so hopefully that’ll help,” says Rubin, who steps behind the tables at 2 a.m.

Promotion, it seems, will be key not just to win the competition, but also to keep the club crowded during the later sets.

“I could be playing the bathroom at a McDonald’s and I’ll promote the shit out of it!” jokes Remedy. “I’ve been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to compete, but it all comes down to what they’re looking for: A DJ to come out there and keep the club going as well as the DJ putting on a good performance.”

All three know it’s not just who shows up with the most friends. Rubin plans to throw in a few of his own productions, while Remedy would like to spin some NY style house to go back to his roots. Cruz says he’ll stay away from mainstream and commercial music when he starts his set. “You can’t stand out if you’re playing the same thing everybody else is playing,” Cruz says. “The Moon crowd exposes people to good quality underground.”

If you’re into dance music, support not only the big DJs, but also our local boys this Sunday night. You never know when they might move from opening Perfecto to headlining around the world.

UPDATE, 07/13/09, 03:52 a.m.: After a VERY close competition, Mike Remedy won the Love Love contest.

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