Meet Bryan Bartlett | Event Professional & DJ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bryan Bartlett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bryan, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
It’s not very glamorous work. There’s a lot of time and labor intensive behind-the-scenes work that goes into planning and executing events. Sometimes that part gets overlooked – the event itself is a small piece of the puzzle. I think that the general idea is that it’s really cool to hang out backstage at a concert, but in reality it’s just a bunch of hardworking men and women cramped in the darkness with tons of equipment.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I love being part of creating memorable experiences.

One of my earliest childhood memories is of seeing, what was dubbed, “The Melodrama” at my elementary school. I remember being fascinated with the colored lights and the dry ice effect for the train smokestack. It wasn’t until high school that I enrolled in a theatre class and fell in love with the technical side. I took all the technical theatre classes possible, even lettered from it. That’s where I realized my future didn’t have to fit the mold I’d imagined.

In 2012, I started working with a large-scale concert production company that a friend worked at, which really propelled my career. Now I work in large-scale production full-time, most commonly as a freelance lighting technician. The common ground between the opportunities I’ve had, whether as a technician or a DJ – is a having good connections. Networking is so important in any business, it’s one of the most impactful practices. Just being a good human with communication skills is a solid start!

I also recently started a side-hustle called Colorado Uplighting. We provide simple, wireless lighting solutions for weddings and events.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic I worked at mass vaccination sites (with fellow former event workers) as a dose monitor, ensuring the correct amount of vaccine doses were drawn for the anticipated number of patients.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Must-eat: Ninja Ramen Mobile (food truck) – Hiro’s spicy tonkotsu is the best!
Wing Hut – Jared makes the best wings in town, hands down, garlic parmesan are my favorite and not like your typical garlic parm
Cranelli’s – Lasinda and fam make some killer lasagne

Must-drink:
Novel Strand – My favorite boutique brewery specializing in hoppy beers
Station 26 – Tangerine Cream is my favorite beer of all-time

Must-see:
Meow Wolf – An immersive treat
Red Rocks Amphitheater – You have to see a show here at least once in your life, even if the load out is the worst

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I absolutely have to shoutout my first employer, Andy Ferguson with Edge Event Productions (Edge Audio Productions at that time). He started hiring me to work at his lighting and sound company in 2005, when I was still a high school student. While gigging there, I discovered that I also had a passion for DJing. Andy’s company would provide the lighting and sound for my high school dances, so in addition to learning how to set up the equipment, I was given the opportunity to DJ some of our school dances as well. I worked with Andy until his company relocated in 2016.

I also need to shoutout DJ Jeffrey Thomas and DJ Petey for graciously showing me the ropes behind the 1’s and 2’s during a revolutionary time in DJing; DJ software and computer integration were just emerging. DJ Petey helped me get into the nightlife world right out of high school, and absorb some valuable programming lessons that I needed to learn. DJ’s that inspired me: DJ AM, DJ 2nd Nature, DJ Scene and DJ Bedz.

Website: https://www.bryanbase.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djbryanbase, https://www.instagram.com/bryanbase88, https://www.instagram.com/coloradouplighting

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanbase/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJBryanBase