While the festival marketplace can seem a bit crowded at times, Jake Resnicow’s events consistently set themselves apart.
Whether he’s reinvigorating New York City Pride or bringing Dreamland back to Miami for New Year’s Eve, Resnicow continues to make his events inclusive, varied and memorable. I sat down to chat with Jake as he and his team put the final touches on this year’s Dreamland events, and we chatted about his path to event production, why Dreamland Gives Back is so crucial and the evolution of both circuit events and the music we hear at them.
Michael Cook: How ready are you for Dreamland in Miami this year?
Jake Resnicow: We are so psyched, it is one of my favorite weekends of the year, Miami is my hometown. I adore putting this festival together, there are so many amazing artists, immersive experiences, activities and people coming together to make this the destination for New Year’s for our community. We are ready to rock!
MC: Purple Disco Machine is one of the biggest artist in the world is featured at Dreamland, along with a fantastic roster of talent. How do you curate a lineup like this?
JR: Purple Disco Machine has been a huge supporter of our community as we have of him for so many years, long before he became the international superstar that he is today. Disco is the heart of our community and he has been playing for us and we have been supporting him long before that. To see him really there for us and really quite frankly, turning down more lucrative opportunities around the world to play just for us is just a huge gesture of how much he appreciates and loves these events and loves playing for Dreamland. He played the first ever Pride event in Central Park for us and that was truly one for the record books. There is a great YouTube video on his page from that Pride Event. He brought Billy Porter on stage as a surprise cameo and it was an event that I will never forget. He’s now played Dreamland New Year’s the last two years and I am super excited to have him back. It is also one of his only gigs in Miami of the year in the Florida market so it really becomes something special.
Having so many other top acts, like Anabel Englund, who is just an incredible live vocalist and DJ, Kaleena Zanders, who is part of our community, and incredible live vocalist and DJ, both of which headline some of the biggest stages from EDC Vegas to Orlando, you name it, all over the world! KC Lights from Last Vegas, an artist that has played some of the biggest stages like Tomorrowland and Coachella. Being able to incorporate all of these incredible artists also, like Trixie Mattel she performed at Stage Coach this past year and is an amazing live DJ. We had her perform at the Kim Petras album release party in New York City and it was to great reviews. Some like talent like Discofuturo and Naim Zarzour and some really great DJs from the International scene like Danny Verde and Ben Bakson. It’s really been cool to meld these acts together in a space that truly feels like a festival.
For me, its been all about offering multiple stages so there is really something for everyone. Also unique to this year is that all of our events are outside under the sun and stars so I think that really makes this festival and New Year’s so unique. It’s cold in many other parts of the country so to be able to enjoy the beautiful weather and fresh air and dance under the sun and stars really makes this festival so unique. We have such special venues which allow us to build multiple activations. Instead of feeling like you’re in a small club with one dance floor you can have gastronomical experiences, and wellness installations. You can be able to sit down and hang out and connect with people and build new friendships and partnerships. That is really what the Dreamland experience is all about.
MC: The evolution of the classic circuit party to an immersive experience like Dreamland has been quite an interesting road. What do you think about that evolution?
JR: There are still people that love circuit music and I want to be able to accommodate them and cater to them, which is why I want to include some of those favorites artists, the ones that keep it still fun and vocal and play those same hits that everyone wants to hear and sing out and dance to. At the same time, I want to offer a second stage that caters to the new genre of house and disco that is becoming a new big trend. I think it is critical to create a space that welcomes everyone and I think that the old school events tend to be a little exclusionary as they were very much one dimensional. Following the lead of some of the biggest festivals like Electric Zoo and Electric Daisy Carnival, they have multiple stages and multiple musical artists a different immersive experiences. It doesn’t feel like your just showing up to be surrounded by large speakers and that thumping.
For me, more than the dancing and the music, it’s about creating safe spaces for our community. Safe spaces include a place where you can dress how you want to be, express how you want to be, let your hair loose, throw on your high heels, do whatever feels like your authentic self. And then have quiet places where you can sit down and have a delicious bite a drink and meet people, then go jump onto the dance floor if you want to. To create an environment where there are so many dimensions really is the future and is what is going to welcome in the younger generation to our events.
MC: Purple Disco Machine is one of the archetypes of the new sound that is bringing back disco music and artists like Billy Porter are helping lead that charge. What are your thoughts on this sound reigniting dance floors?
JR: I love Billy to death, he is such a pioneer for our community and it was really special that Billy came out and made a surprise cameo with Purple Disco Machine in Central Park, that was really one for the books. We also had Aqua come out and do a surprise cameo with Paris Hilton and them Kim Petras came out and did a cameo with Paris Hilton. I love surprises and of course am working on some surprises for Dreamland. Those are the moments that people really remember.
MC: For you, what do you think is the moment that producing events like this for our community are what you wanted to do?
JR: My very first event was back in 2010 on Governors Island and I came from the world of MC’ing and DJ’ing bar mitzvahs and weddings. There was always something really special about bringing people together and bringing smiles to people’s faces. It was back in 2010 when I took that leap of faith and telling a story about people coming to an island to celebrate Pride on Saturday. That event was so special and so iconic and that has evolved into multiple events across the country and the globe. From LifeBall in Vienna to festivals in Las Vegas, Chicago and Los Angeles to Mexico. Every event for me has to be special.
I don't really do weekly parties or anything like that, for me it is about creating social events. We have an incredible group of people who come together and put in countless hours around the clock to curate these events and put together special moments that people maybe don’t know why they feel special, but really give you that five dimensional fully sensory experience and make you say “WTF how did that just happen?” and you leave being completely enthralled. For me, it is all about creating the truly special events and the unique experiences, be it surprises, production elements, immersive experiences, that is really what inspires me more than anything else, and getting feedback. When I hear that a couple is now celebrating their 10-year anniversary and they met at one of our events and they never thought that they would meet each other. They came from different parts of the world, they crossed eyes and now they’re celebrating their anniversary; those are the moments that give me goosebumps.
I hear often at our events that several people made their new best friends their, and they travel the world with them and they’re besties now. That’s about creating these really fun environments that are not so heavy like some of the other dance parties are, but just truly just fun and silly. I think that putting together fun themes that encourages costumes and outfits, it just puts a really carefree spirit that everyone embodies and makes them feel really welcoming and that is super important. I want anyone that comes to our events to feel that they have a safe space here and that they can be themselves a form new friendships and relationships.
MC: Your events always have a charitable aspect and arm. Why is it important to vie back consistently and specifically with Dreamland Gives Back and Femme House for this event?
JR: Femme House is something that is near and dear to my heart. One of the things that is really shocking is that less than 1% of music producers are female and less than 1% of charting artists are LGBTQ. That is a big problem and we need to address that. For me coming on the board of Femme House and raising a ton to really launch this program in a meaningful way I see a path to change that. Femme House offers incredible free classes and sessions, so if someone wanted to become a music producer, there is opportunity to take these free workshops. Anyone can go onto the site and take them and learn how to be a music producer. Through their scholarship program that we have helped fund over the last two years, we have had more than 12 fellows pass through it. There is path to becoming a charting artist.
There is one on one mentorship, and the fellows get set up with the skills to be paired and become producers. After the mentorship, their music can be played on the radio because Femme House has a weekly radio station on SiruriusXM. Their music can get airplay so they can become successful artists. Femme House does major stage takeovers at festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival and at my festivals like Planet Pride we can give these up and coming artists and fellows the opportunities to be on lineups with major artists and start to launch their career. I see this as a true path to actually change these issues in the community.
We are also benefiting one of Trixie Mattel’s own non-profits Drag Isn’t Dangerous. So many people talk about how these anti drag laws in Florida kept people from thriving but having Trixie on this main stage in Miami is a big testament to how we are not letting any of those legislation effect us. Her nonprofit has done incredible work and will continue to do so with us giving back to it.
MC: Manifestation is tremendously important. What are you manifesting for 2024?
JR: I do love a good manifestation. For me, I am just continuing to look at how we can grow and expand the opportunities to be as inclusive as possible. I know that a lot of people talk about how certain events don’t feel very inclusive and that is an area that I really want to focus on, it's the most important. I am also super excited, in 2025 we are gearing up for World Pride in DC. It’s the 50th anniversary of Pride in DC and I am really excited to be working on projects there to help make that as memorable as our World Pride in New York when we did our events at the Javits Center. Let’s keep manifesting more amazing opportunities and making these things real.
Tickets for all Dreamland NYE events are available now at dreamlandnye.com.
