As told to JAB! Recently I had the opportunity to speak with one of the coolest promotors ever, Devo of ToyMaker Music, about their upcoming 15th Anniversary of Barnyard Boogie.
Devo, congratulations on your 15th Anniversary. Why do you think Barnyard Boogie is one of the longest running shows here in the US?
Thank you. Barnyard Boogie is a traditional old skool event. We offer all varieties of Electronic Music, so there is a good feel and fun atmosphere much like at a reunion. I love that dark, illegal, underground, warehouse grunge feel of early raves and I recreate that flavor into Barnyard Boogie every year.
How did the idea for Barnyard Boogie come about?
Back in the day I attended Backwoods Boogie, an amazing event at a state park put on by Shawn McCarty with the blessing of Billie Most. I totally looked up to Billie and his production company, Organic Grooves, and modeled Barnyard Boogie after his events. The very first one was in a large farm garage and being on a farm, “barnyard”
just seemed the logical name to use. As a show of good faith to Billie, our first slogan was, “Back from the Backwoods.”
What changes have you made at Barnyard Boogie over the years?
The biggest change has been in the equipment. Many newer dj’s now bring their own equipment, such as controllers, with them, whereas old skoolers tend to still use turntables. Barnyard Boogie is an old skool event, so many of the djs performing on turntables. Another change is that the event has
gotten bigger and bigger. We started out with one stage and eight djs in a garage and I think about fifty people came. This year we have 8 stages with over 50,000 watts of sound on each stage, over 100 djs and a whole fairground to party on, there’s even a semi-trailer
to groove in! We’re expecting over 1000 people from all over the US, from Maine to California and all points in between. Everyone ready to dance, party and have a good time from 4pm to 8am and on.
That’s over 16 hours of Electronic Music!!!
Yep. (Smile) I feel a true rave is one where you can see the sunrise come up. In fact, one of our first Barnyard Boogies was held in an actual wooden barnhouse. As the sun rose in the morning you could see the golden rays of light slowly peak through the cracks between the wooden boards, lighting up the djs as they continued to play. It was pretty amazing.
As ToyMaker Music you’ve been promoting since 1996, what is it that motivates you to keep going?
For me it has always been my love for the music and the people. When I was younger I listened to hip hop and was really impressed by the people I saw doing tricks on the turntables. Later when I was older in high school, I’d sneak out of the house and go to parties at the local university. It was there that I saw those same turntables with djs spinning Electronic Music and I was hooked. Nowdays when someone comes up to me and says, “Hey, I was at your show and had an awesome time”, then I know I’m doing a great thing and I’m psyched to start planning for the next show. I’d like to say a big thank you to all those involved, that special someone, who inspires me to “just be me”, Bleep, my head coordinators, and the over 40 volunteers we have this year. We couldn’t do it without you!
I have often wondered why you hold Barnyard Boogie in November, seems a cold time of year to be on a farm in Illinois.
(Laughs) Since Barnyard Boogie started it has taken place on a farm, where we use neighboring fields for parking. Because of this, we have to wait until the crops are taken out in the Fall. At first, this was purely a logistical decision, now it has become a tradition. Barnyard Boogie fills the calendar gap between Halloween and Christmas raves. November is a traditional time of giving thanks and having the event out in the fields, in a sense, is our way as ravers of saying thanks to mother-nature in a very up close and personal and way. Plus I get to wear my cowboy hat. (Laughs) This year we will also be donating to cancer research along with hosting our annual food drive for the local food pantry.
As far as keeping warm, our 15th Anniversary slogan is “We’re gonna get your bodies MOOving!” To help us accomplish this we have invited djs like Hyperactive, Forest Green, Jen Mas, Miss K FunkTM and Alfonz Delamota. The stages are also all indoors, we’ve got some great vendors, amazing acts and of course the ToyMaker mascot teddy bears.
That sounds really awesome, DevoTM. Thanks for talking with us and we wish you all the best for ToyMaker Music’s 15th Anniversary of Barnyard Boogie coming up on November 12th in Amoy, IL.
Details and tickets can be found at
