Pri Yon Joni Villaflor, 29, has performed at the last two 515 Alive festivals and will be spinning at an official after- party Saturday at People’s Court. Villaflor and organizer Brad Goldman met up with us to run through what’s involved in being a DJ.
Here are a few details about the man behind the turntables:
How he got into DJing: “To be honest, I was into the technology before the music. I was a big tech geek and my dad was a musician, so this became the route that I could express myself musically.”
Favorite 515 Alive memory: “Last year we made a video playing on the main stage. I know Brad (Goldman) put a lot of effort into making that a really special stage, and playing it at sunset with a sea of people in front of me was something words can’t describe. I’m glad I have a video to show people.”
The state of EDM in Des Moines: “I came to Des Moines from Detroit, where techno got started. I don’t think people realize how good we have it here. There’s a strong, loyal, recurring and consistent EDM scene. You can credit that to guys like Brad, Matt Rissi and Jesse Michael Aldridge. As a whole, Iowa has created a really strong EDM following.”
Official After Party with Pri Yon Joni
When: 10 p.m. Saturday
Where: People’s Court, 216 Court Ave.
Cost: $10 ($20 with 515 Alive admission on 515alive.eventbrite.com)
Info: peoplesdm.com
Official After Party with Matt Rissi
When: 11:55 p.m. Saturday
Where: Lime Lounge, 435 E. Grand Ave.
Cost: Free
Info: reliveatlime.eventbrite.com
