By Jessica Dillon
DJ WHAT!’S, a music venue in Collinsville owned by Kasey and Lisa Lucas, is working to provide a home for local musical acts and artists. The couple regularly hosts live shows for the public at a small fee, and Kasey Lucas is exploring the launch of a non-profit, DJ WHAT!’S Musical Initiative (DMI), to further support musicians in the area.
“It’s just literally a platform. It’s a platform for a lot of musicians, a lot of talent, a lot of singers. We got a lot of talent in Martinsville, but not really a place to just put them,” Kasey Lucas said.
DMI aims to provide performance opportunities to artists who need a platform, support rising talent through programs and community-led events, create spaces for collaboration and growth, and bring people together through music-centered events that strengthen the local arts culture.
The venue itself is uniquely decorated and features local art. “Everything you see was done in house by either me and my wife. Just literally tried to create a space that you don’t normally see here in Martinsville,” Lucas said.
“It’s all locally painted and it’s all locally created. It’s just a creative space for creative people. And that’s what we’re just trying to find: our community.”
Lucas cited recent performers at the venue, including local bands Heretics Fort Drive, JUND, Hazy Meals, Shipwrecked Mind and The Butchers. He said the venue strives to avoid “gatekeeping” any genre or style.
“We want to get it to the point where we can do something every weekend, but right now our team is very, very small. So having staff, the right staff in place and having people that you know can run it to the level that you’re trying to run it, is kind of a process,” Lucas said.
In February alone, the venue hosted eight separate events. “We’ve had artists that were established, and then people that just started, just wrote some stuff down and want to come in. Don’t really know how to play yet, but still, it’s important to give them some type of feel,” Lucas said. “When they come in, we roll out the red carpet as best we can.”
Looking ahead, the couple plans to use the upstairs and outdoor areas for an acoustic stage and small outdoor performances, as well as an upstairs recording studio offering low- or no-cost recording opportunities for artists.
Lisa Lucas emphasized the importance of keeping the community active. “Everyone always keeps saying, there’s nothing to do here, there’s nothing to do here, when there is something to do here. It’s just kind of frustrating. It’s just us two by ourselves. We’re working on the next big things,” she said.
Upcoming shows and more information about DJ WHAT!’S and DMI can be found on their Facebook page or at www.dmivirginia.org.
