“I’m nervous but very excited,” says Richard, who performs under the stage name Richie. “The biggest crowd I’ve ever played for was probably around 100 people. But 6,000! It’s crazy! It will be my first experience with such a big crowd.”
Richard got the uOshow gig thanks to the power of social media and a little bit of hustle. In June, he posted a note on social media saying that playing the uOshow was on his “bucket list.” He tagged @uOttawa and the University of Ottawa Student Union (@seuo_uosu) and got all his friends to like and re-share it, and tag other accounts, to get the post noticed by uOshow organizers at Student Affairs. It worked!
Richard’s influences include Daft Punk and Avicii, but he plays a mix of styles such as EDM (electronic dance music), electro pop and R&B.
“Creating a song is like talking to a psychologist. Back in 2021, I made a song dedicated to a girl who tragically passed away because of cyberbullying. The song focuses on mental health.”
Fourth-year psychology student Richard Pham
When it comes to balancing DJing with his schoolwork, Richard plans to release more tracks but adds that he tends to focus on one thing at a time.
“I usually focus on school and studying, especially during midterms and finals. I only DJ on days when I don’t have schoolwork.”
Richie will take the stage at 6:30 p.m. He’ll be followed by:
7 p.m. – Elissa Dupre, DJ at The Show, Ottawa’s most popular nightclub. She is known for fluid transitions between different musical genres, including afrobeats, rap, pop, Top40, house and EDM.
8 p.m. – DJ Pøptrt, a multidisciplinary Indigenous artist from the Mohawk nation of Kahnawá:ke. His music combines his kanien’kehá:ka tradition with contemporary electronic music to create a unique and captivating sound.
9 p.m. – Sam Strut and Crookedd. DJ/producer Sam Strut is a Canadian tech-house specialist. In his younger years, he founded uOttawa’s first electronic music club, which unleashed his passion for electronic music. Sam’s real name is Sam Hamilton (BHSc ’23). He performed at last year’s uOShow. DJ’s/producers, Shawndel Ferron and Adrian Banavage (aka Crookedd), redefine “party” by bringing a new sense of energy to the crowd. The Crookedd duo were born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, where in 2017 they began pursuing their interest in DJ'ing within the busy club scene.
10 p.m. – ALVITA and LUX ÆTERNA. ALVITA is a DJ/producer from the Netherlands who is famous for his energetic sound that is sometimes smooth, sometimes harsh and rasping. Sidney Samson was one of the first to discover him, which led to a collaboration between the two on “Make the club go like” on Spinnin’ Records.
Since 2016, LUX ÆTERNA has been pushing the limits of electronic music by transforming their unique audiovisual synesthesia and imagination into a sound experience. As a child, LUX ÆTERNA turned to music to escape, began playing piano at the age of seven, and then took up the drums, saxophone, and guitar, before moving to Amsterdam to dive into the world of electronic music.
In addition to the music, be sure to check out the on-site stations featuring henna, airbrush tattooing, and Boom Balloon and arcade games.
You’ll also want to sample treats, including doughnuts, Kona Ice, Spring Chips and chocolate-covered strawberries, from the on-site food trucks!