WetStep was founded back in 2011 as the first water-themed event to hit the EDM community in America. Their first WetStep event premiered in 2014 at Stereo Live. Their second installation of the event, WetStep 2 will be taking place July 15 at Eastdown Warehouse here in Houston headlined by up and coming Trap DJ, Bailo. I sat down with the founder/creator of this unique event, Andrew Dinham, and his business partner and CFO, Edrian Gary, to discuss the inspiration behind event, how it was founded, and future goals for the spreading this event nationally and even globally to people outside of the Houston EDM community. However, little did I know, Dinham would reveal his main purpose for throwing this event and it be far from just affecting the EDM community.
Me: Tell me about WetStep and what inspired you to create this event?
Dinham: In 2011, I was blessed to be on the tour with Day Glow (Life In Color) as one of their mascots. While on tour, I was able to evaluate the current EDM scene and where it was going in the future. I was talking to my friend and I kept saying, “Somebody has to do this with water instead of paint.” We were on tour for two and a half years and once we got off I told Edrian Gary (CFO) to write this concept down and we will come back to it later; it’s called Wetstep. A year and a half later, we picked up the idea again and finally wanted to move forward with the idea since nobody else had done it before.
Me: What kind of water equipment do you use to create this amazing water experience?
Dinham: We have 2 water cannons on the stage that are our main attraction now. Additionally, we have bubbles as our second environment. We are looking to get more into our production to give the EDM fan not just a musical experience, but show them how many things we can do with water. At WetStep 2, we will have water cannons, a rain effect, water guns, and bubbles.
Me: What are the different environments for each stage?
Gary: It will basically be two different vibes. Around main stage (Bailo and supporting local DJs), the crowd will experience a rain effect: water cannons shooting different directions to the crowd, pressurized hoses that will blast from different directions as well. The second stage (local DJs) is called “Bubbleville.” There we will have our bubble machines and light shows. There is something for everybody, even a dry zone for people who don’t want to get wet.
Me: What are your future goals for WetStep and how do you see it growing?
Dinham: We sat back for a year and really contemplated why we were throwing this event in order to see a future with it. We thought about it this way: there are 700 million people on the planet that do not have access to clean water and to attempt to eradicate that is a big responsibility to take on. For us to even have a chance with the help of the EDM community to give back not only to them, but the world, with water is a big deal. With that being said, we would like to bring WetStep to other communities starting out on a college tour within the southern cities and then branching out nationally, then eventually globally would be ideal with the same focus in mind: giving access to clean water for those who deserve it around the world.
After sitting down with Andrew Dinham and his WetStep team, I was proud that someone from our own Houston EDM community was stepping up to not only throw an awesome event, but do it with an amazing purpose. It was beautiful to see that, by supporting our local EDM scene, we can still change the lives of people who do not have access to clean water, locally and globally. Learn more about their awesome purpose following the links below and don’t forget to snag your tickets to an iconic display of water July 15.
Event Link: Here
Tickets: Here
Website: Here
