Just in time for TBRU, BearDance celebrates five years of parties and charity with DJ John LePage
OUT OF HIBERNATION | Despite being part of the bear community and a popular DJ, this week’s appearance at BearDance will mark John LePage’s debut at TBRU.
RICH LOPEZ | Contributing Writer
getrichindallas@gmail.com
Considering it’s one of the premier bear events across the country, it’s hard to believe that San Francisco’s celebrated DJ John LePage has not played Dallas during Texas Bear Round Up before now. But better late than never.
The nonprofit BearDance has had him in their sights to play its signature TBRU dance party, and has snagged LePage to headline its fifth anniversary event this weekend. This also secures LePage’s place as one of the go-to DJs for whenever bears wanna dance.
“John’s cult-like following in the bear community, combined with his playing of high profile venues across the country made him our natural choice to headline this year’s event,” BearDance board member Darren Graff says.
“I’ve been spinning Bear Week in Provincetown and Lazy Bear, so I have a lot of experience spinning at major bear events,” LePage concedes. “I was approached by BearDance about two years ago to see if I’d be interested in what they’re doing, so they’ve been on my radar and I’m very excited to play.”
This gig will also mark LePage’s first time attending TBRU. The closest he’s ever come before to attending the furpalooza was in 2002, when he coincidentally spun a Dallas gig that happened the same weekend. Le Page and his partner will stay for the entire event, but work comes first and he reassures that the dance floor will be a musical haven.
“I’m considered a ‘bear DJ’ because I cater to them,” LePage grins.
Face it: A hunky, scruffy guy on the turntables is going to be easy to identify with, in some fashion, for the bear community, but LePage doesn’t want people to confuse catering to his crowd as pandering. What makes LePage a favorite is that he doesn’t just look the part; he proudly plays it as well.
“It’s the scene that we socialize in and I think DJs in general will play toward their own scene,” he says. “That face that I’m also socially a part of the scene I spin for? I’m proud of that.”
There has been some slight kerfuffle among DJs when certain artists get played that aren’t in favor with all of the LGBT community. This controversy isn’t lost on LePage. His brand of vocal-progressive house varies greatly, but if there is the remotest hint that homophobia could be tied to a song or artist, he refrains.
“I pay attention to the music charts like Billboard, so I know what’s popular, but I’m also aware,” he says. “I remember Mary Mary had a popular single a couple of years ago that I liked, but I just couldn’t play them because of their anti-gay remarks. I’m very proud to be gay and I certainly don’t like to think that what I play could affect the people on the floor.”
An admitted workaholic, LePage juggles his own label Groove Records, a new single (“Echekeboom”) and a full-time day job as a Realtor. Add to that he listens to dance music “99.9 percent of the time,” how does the guy decompress?
“Oh, it’s tough,” he laughs. “When I’m doing the music stuff, that’s not work for me; that’s my fun, relaxing time. But I don’t have a lot of free time, so I try to sleep.” (Ummm … don’t bears call that hibernating?)
And while he’s apparently relaxing on those Station 4 turntables for BearDance, he expects the menagerie of fuzzy creatures on the floor to be dancing up the proverbial storm.
“They can expect an exciting set of music alongside some of my original productions,” he says. “They just need to come prepared.”
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition March 15, 2013.