Vector Management Eric Gunderson, left, and Stephen Barker-Liles are the country duo Love and Theft. They are on the Sunday lineup.
Tucson’s country EDM DJ Du — aka Duhamel Cassell — has had an incredible year:
- Since this time last year, he has crisscrossed the country with Nashville superstars Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Love and Theft, and Miranda Lambert.
- He’s done festivals including Country Thunder in Wisconsin and Arizona — he returns to Florence this weekend to host the after-hours EDM party in the Electric Thunder tent — and a show in Texas last weekend with Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.
- He’s lined up a new management team to take him to bigger stages possibly as a headliner and help him secure a record deal.
- He published a book with 11 other indie musicians who share their stories and advice on how to succeed in the industry. “How They Sell Music” comes out in May.
“Never in a million years did I think I would be playing for thousands of people in arenas. I’m incredibly excited to see where it goes next,” he said.
He returns to Country Thunder this weekend for his third year running the Electric Thunder, which has become a big draw for the festival, said Brian Andrews, VP of Country Thunder’s parent company, Premier Global Production Co. Inc.
This year could prove to be Electric Thunder’s biggest yet. DJ Du will host nightly themed parties — a dance party Thursday; “Throwback Beach Bash” Friday; foam disco Saturday; and “Neon Rage” Sunday. Cassell starts spinning not long after the headliner gets off stage.
“I think the theme nights are just fantastic,” said Cassell. “It makes things relevant and exciting every night.”
Cassell promises a few surprises, which could include some guest appearances from the main stage artists.
“You never know what might happen,” he teased.
Meanwhile, here’s a few lessons Cassell learned — in his own words — from his year on the road with Aldean’s “Night Train Tour”:
“I think the first gig I was a little intimidated. I had two days’ notice, and I was onstage in an arena. … So I kind of had to learn how to DJ a whole different style and really be engaging. … I think after two days on the Aldean tour I stopped being a DJ; I became an entertainer.”
“In the first week in Mulberry (Grove), Illinois, I broke my foot on stage. I had ran across the stage and jumped the wrong way and came down the wrong way and broke my food in front of 15,000, 16,000 people. Nobody realized I broke my foot.”
“For me, Country Thunder is like a homecoming. I love the whole experience. I think Country Thunder is not just about music; it’s about the experience. … It’s like Woodstock country music style. … And in Tucson … it has a vibe. It’s on the radio. It feels like it’s a national holiday and it’s really fantastic. There’s really a great country music establishment in Tucson.”
