Out of the many movers and shakers in Seattle, Eric Weber is arguably one of the hardest workers. You may have seen the name WEB or DJ WEB before on a lineup at The Underground, Ora, or countless other venues. You can find him spinning house, trance, and many vibes in between.
Eric Weber not only DJs for these shows, but tirelessly promotes and puts them on in the first place. As the owner of In Motion Trance and House, Progress, and WEB Recordings, and co-owner of Elements, he definitely has his work cut out for him! This passion and dedication to the underground scene of Seattle is what fosters a healthy scene for us all to enjoy.
There are so many incredible shows coming up this spring, and WEB is an opener for a lot of them. Tonight, he will be at The Underground for Factor B, and tomorrow night he will be at Ora for Darude. Both of these shows are must-see, but there are many more opportunities coming up to see him also.
We sat down with this unsung hero to discuss how the scene has changed, and what it feels like to perform for both trance and house lovers.
Eric Weber
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Nic: The name WEB is seen on many lineups around Seattle and Portland across house and trance. How many years have you been in this community?
Eric: Too many! More than 12 years playing Electronic music, but before that, I did radio shows, high schools, colleges, and various other types of events including a short DJ residence at a club in Tokyo.
N: What was it like being a resident DJ in Tokyo? How much different are the crowds there?
E: Tokyo has a completely different style. The club I was resident at was open from 10 pm to noon the next day. Really long hours and I was still playing vinyl at that time! I was finished each night in time for lunch. It’s a good thing I’m not a big breakfast eater!
The crowd would rotate throughout the night from club to club and every few hours it would be a completely different crowd. The club decided it wanted to do top 40/hop-hop on some nights, not just trance and house. At that time, I decided I was ready to leave and return to the States.
N: With “In Motion,” how do you want these shows to stand out compared to other brands and experiences in Seattle?
E: We want everyone to feel welcome. Our goal is to create a fun and positive place to have a drink, make new friends, and enjoy some progressive music that many fans may not find regularly at other venues.
Our love for the music is key. We truly want people to enjoy their experience whether it is their 1st time to an In Motion event or they are regulars. We have been told that many come for the warm happy vibes of our shows and the personal touch we add to make the show special.
N: Tonight you’re playing at The Underground for Factor B, and tomorrow at Ora for Darude. What vibes should we expect for each of these opening sets, and is it difficult to play for two separate genres in the same weekend?
E: We should expect great positive vibes for both shows. Factor B will be bringing some 138 bpm uplifting trance and should have a good showing for The Underground trance supporters.
Darude covers a much broader crowd base and we should expect a Sandstorm of fun! Both shows are trance but each has a different sound for its sub-genre.
Some shows require a much quicker mix of music while others require a long blend, or almost a mashup, of the two songs. The key for me is to make a mix that builds the night up without taking away the energy from the headliner of the night.
These 2 nights will both require me to start and end my sets at different stages for tempo, energy, and style.
N: What have the transitions been like, from vinyl to CD to mp3, from purchasing individual songs to streaming services, and from flyers with glowsticks to everything done online?
E: I have always enjoyed the search for that perfect gem to play in my sets. With vinyl, sets felt more unique. Most vinyls were purchased by going to various shops and listening to what they had available, and picking only specific ones you wanted because each individual record cost some money. I worked at Platinum Records and loved having access to the new and limited stuff that many people would only hear at a party.
The Transition to CDs was interesting. I was apprehensive at first since I loved the feel of vinyl, but as technology improved, it really opened up more opportunities to get music I would have never had a chance to find or hear. It also saved my back from having to carry multiple record crates just to have 50-100 songs.
Mp3 has made it so I just have to remember my headphones and all my music will fit in my pocket. I still bring out my CD case occasionally to get an autograph on it.
As far as glowsticks and flyering, the thing I remember most was flyering parking lots with my friend Beefer. Rain or shine we had to get the advertising out. The switch to social media has made it more of a thing we can do at home as well as setting up online tickets as opposed to printing and selling in stores. It has made it easier, but I still feel there is a human element to promoting and getting out and chatting with everyone about upcoming shows. It has definitely been a transition and learning experience.
N: A lot of patrons of The Underground come for STA shows, but another major brand at this club is Elements. How does the vibe differ as a patron, and what upcoming Elements shows can we mark on our calendars?
E: Marc Pospisil asked me and my sister, Keri, if we wanted to be partners and do a different night from what STA was typically doing. It is a style that I love and is very close to home for my sets.
The Elements night was set up to bring a bit of the softer (non-138bpm) side of Trance, Progressive, and some other styles that might compliment those like Deep House and Techno. Many of the Elements nights would be what we might call the Anjuna side of Trance.
We didn’t want to do another House night, but we wanted to focus on something between House and the typical 138 Trance. Since we started we’ve brought Max Graham, Gai Barone, Jaytech, Jerome Isma-Ae, Jody Wisternoff, and on April 12 Cristoph followed by a return from Jody Wisternoff on May 3rd.
N: Soon you will be hosting Spencer Brown. Can you give us a preview of this special night?
E: We are really looking forward to bringing Spencer May 12th. He is quickly becoming Anjuna’s newest rising star.
We are working with Ora to bring a few other great Saturday shows under my company, In Motion. We wanted to bring some unique artists to Ora. Since I have worked with the owner of Ora in the past while throwing shows at his former venue, King Kat, it made it really easy to start setting shows up.
We will have some more info next week and tickets the following week for Spencer as we get the go-ahead from Anjunabeats for ads. We will also have some other big announcements in the next month for headliners, as well as In Motion takeovers in the lounge at Ora on Saturdays, bringing some great Progressive, Deep House, and Techno.
N: What is your favorite aspect of DJing in front of a crowd?
E: I really love to find new music and to get the chance to introduce it to a crowd. It is great to feel the energy, the excitement, and happiness as I drop a track that brings the crowd together. It is a great feeling to know that the music has helped bring everyone together and that I had a chance to help create that special night.
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