On September 6, Gem State Live took over The Gem in Idaho Falls from 7 PM to 2 AM, presented by my label, Atlantic Progression. I’ve thrown a lot of shows, but this one hit different. The energy was honest, the crowd was locked in, and the love for house music in East Idaho was loud and clear.
Lineup & Flow (All House, All Night)
We billed this as House Music Returns to East Idaho—and we meant it. The lineup rolled like this: Toddo, Sensei the Beast, Odd-ish, The Idahoan b2b Miss Blü, Darqness, N.S.Z., and Niño Lebon closing.
Genres across the night: progressive house, Latin house, tech house, bass house, organic house, deep house, melodic house, breaks, and straight electronica. No fluff—just groove.
Opening Heat: Toddo → Sensei the Beast → Odd-ish
Toddo’s set the tone right from doors—clean selections, smooth lift-off.
Next up, Sensei the Beast (Twin Falls) threw down a big tech house set that yanked people onto the floor. The guy’s taste and feel are ridiculous—one of Idaho’s best house DJs, period.
Odd-ish (half of Weird Science) followed with a crisp, versatile house set that had me dancing while I prepped my canvas for the live art. By this point, the room was humming.
Toddo
Sensei The Beast
Odd-ish
East Idaho Progressive House DJ vs. North Idaho House/DnB DJ : My B2B with Miss Blü
At 10 PM, I went back-to-back with Miss Blü—who drove all the way from Sandpoint with her full vinyl rig: two Technics 1200s and a Rane mixer. Analog vs. digital on one stage, no net. Not every transition was buttery (we’re honest here), but the pairing was special. Miss Blü is a beast on wax, and one of the kindest, most grounded DJs I’ve met. The room felt fullest here—friends, dancers, the house family all in one place.
The Idahoan and Miss Blü
Darqness, N.S.Z., and a Niño Lebon – The Perfect End To The Perfect Evening
Darqness (Boise) stepped on next and poured fuel on the fire. He’s equally dangerous at house and drum & bass, but tonight he kept it driving and classy. Bonus: the man later gifted me cologne (he’s a scent influencer) and had me smelling like I owned the building the next day. THANKS, BRO!
N.S.Z. took midnight and did not let the floor dip—rare for a local night at The Gem. He and I share a progressive house brain, and we’ve already started building tunes together. Expect releases if the stars line up.
Closing honors went to Niño Lebon, our Latin house ace. Groovy, warm, high-love energy—the exact landing a night like this deserves.
Darqness
N.S.Z.
Niño Lebon
Live Art, Raffle, and Winners
We added a layer: live acrylic painting inside the venue. Big thanks to Jeremy Webster (psychedelic-leaning abstract realism) for joining me on the easels.
Raffle prizes: Yamaha headphones, quality earplugs, and tees courtesy of Chesbro Music Company and Teton Guitars—plus three original paintings (two by me, one by Jeremy).
- My paintings went to Devan Bergeman and Rob (UK—Isle of Wight).
- Jeremy’s painting went to Eliza Wanders (Elizabeth)—I’m dropping it off next weekend.
That live-art corner changed the room vibe. People told me they didn’t realize I paint—clearly you haven’t caught the Mixcloud streams where I paint while I mix. Now you know.
Community, Crew, and Sponsors
Massive gratitude:
- Ian “Pablo” — hauled gear in his own truck, set up/strike, total rock. You’ll see him on future lineups of mine, that’s for sure.
- Jeremy Webster — live art MVP. Check out his Gallery Explosé!
- David — birthday weekend and still brought lasers/lighting & helped wire everything. You are the man.
- Aubrey — door hero: IDs, cash, raffle, the works.
- Brian Swacina (for The Gem), Devan, Mary, Carlos — venue support. Without you, this doesn’t happen.
- Sponsors: Atlantic Progression, Teton Guitars, Chesbro Music Company – businesses who have proven that they support local music.
- Elizabeth (from Driggs) — your feedback meant a lot. And thank you so much for that wonderful gift. I’ll treasure it forever.
- And my wife, Christy — thank you for riding this chaos with me. You’re my anchor.
Full Video Of The Night – Don’t Forget To Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel!
Full Audio Of The Night – Don’t Forget To Follow Us On Mixcloud!
Why Gem State Live at The Gem Mattered
Two heavy conflicts the same night: the Eastern Idaho State Fair and Welcome to the Oasis still rolling. Even so, turnout was strong—and different. I saw faces I don’t usually see at typical EDM nights. That tells me the Idaho Falls house music community is real, growing, and hungry. Awakening proved it. Gem State sealed it.
We’re doing this again. Gem State will return.
AI Editing Disclaimer:
AI was used as an editor for grammar and structure only. The message, memories, and mouth are 100% mine. Seriously. I went and edited this shit down as well. Anyways, enjoy! Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and stay safe.