The light show started early during the long Fourth of July Holiday weekend with Sunrise at San Jose Civic Auditorium, featuring EDM DJs and producers Datsik, Doctor P, Butch Clancy and Trolley Snatcha.

Photos by Metro photographer C.J.

Though there’s no clear moment that marks precisely when electronic music exploded, Sunrise electronic festival co-promoter Robert Mine really started to see things shake up in 2010, right around the time he and his partner, Santi Torrecilla, started booking large electronic events in San Jose.

Their third annual Sunrise event arrives July 3 at the San Jose Civic Auditorium with Canadian producer Datsik, DJ Doctor P and Detroit producer Butch Clancy, as well as Trolley Snatcha, Pegboard Nerds and Getter.

The past two Sunrise parties—along with the annual winter electronic variation “Sunset”—have been so successful that they’ve consistently sold out the 3,000-person capacity venue.

Some of Sunrise’s success, as well as that of electronic music events in general, can be attributed to how the parties have evolved compared to traditional rock shows. People go into them expecting light shows, crazy costumes, exciting visuals and lots of eye candy in the crowd.

“Other genres are more focused on the music itself,” Mine says. “We make it more of an experience for all the senses. So music is just as important as the visual experience, which is just as important as the atmosphere. We want people to be completely immersed in another world.”

This year, the promoters are looking to enhance other elements of the experience. They’ll be setting up a Twitter channel for attendees that the DJ on stage will be able to see while performing. He’ll be able to talk back to the audience, or even alter his set accordingly.

“We’re trying to break down the wall that separates the performer and the audience and try and develop ways that they can communicate with each other,” Mine says.

Rather than fighting technology and telling people to put their smartphones away, they are encouraging people to use them as a means to get consumed in the event.

The next step is to set up video streams. Though they probably won’t be able to do it this year, by their next event they hope to set up several streams that people at home can watch, but more important, the audience at the event will see the streams and get a more in-depth view of what’s happening all around them. Some ideas include setting up streams in the backstage area, perhaps one of the audience and a close-up of the DJs performing.

Sunrise
Wednesday, July 3; 8pm; $50/$55 VIP
San Jose Civic Auditorium