Traditional Family Values: Mike Beyer (in hat) and Christopher “CJYetman help carry on Baltimore’s rave scene. http://www.citypaper.com/2001-02-14/nocover.html Family Affair Meet the Next Generation of Dance-Event Promoters By Justin Hampton It might seem like a distant memory, but there are plenty of people out there who still remember when the Baltimore rave scene was strong. Old-school stalwarts such as Ultraworld get a groove on just two or three times a year nowadays, but many others are not content to wait so long to experience the communion an all-night party can engender among its participants. For those never-say-die dancers, the second-generation promotion team Family Productions has risen to fill the void. Founded by Christopher "CJ" Yetman and Mike Beyer (who also DJs under the alias "Deviate"), Family Productions has slowly grown over the past five years to emerge as the heir apparent to the most inspiring and positive elements of Baltimore's rave legacy. "We do this because we love what we do and we want our events to be the best they possibly can be, and when it really comes down to it, that's the bottom line. If you have the right intentions, you end up with something positive," Yetman says. "I honestly believe that somehow it shines through. I can't explain it, but the fact that we love it and that we want it adds that extra touch that makes it a Family Production." Yetman and Beyer met through friends at a rave in New Jersey in the md-'90s. Beyer had already been bitten by the dance-music bug through Ultraworld kingpin Lonnie Fisher's Raza parties in Baltimore County and was throwing events with friends under the name "Family Productions." Together the two started off small by booking the club night Delusions at the small Federal Hill bar Copacabana in the spring of 1998. Yetman and Beyer later moved the party to Club Midnite on North Howard Street and retitled it Evolve. At the time, the city was cracking down on raves as suspected havens for drug use; this created a vacuum in Baltimore's nightlife culture--and created opportunities for Family. "I think Evolve went well simply because there was nothing else going on," Beyer says. "This weekly [club night] started when all the heat was on places like Fever, and it was right around the time that Lonnie was having trouble with his boat party, Fathom. [There] was simply nothing else happening at the time." Over time, Family Productions took a number of local DJs under its wing, along with local drum 'n' bass producer Terry Kilby. Eventually, Yetman and Beyer moved into the business of throwing large one-off parties, starting with the 1999-'00 New Year's Eve party Forward in a downtown warehouse, co-produced with LG Concannon's Sonic Soul Productions. Since then, Family has brought Josh Wink, Frankie Bones, and other national names to the Baltimore-Washington area. "We are more prone to the techno side of things," Beyer says of Family's musical direction. "We grew up on people like Frankie Bones and Richie Hawtin, and our events definitely reflect that. We always try to put some sort of flow with our events as well. Like starting off with slower-paced music and progressing throughout the night. I like to think of our events as long musical journeys." But Family Productions hardly limits itself to hard and steady beats all night long. Beyer specializes in spinning a particularly aggressive and syncopated brand of tribal house and is learning how to engineer his own tracks. And after about a year of preparation, the duo is now set to throw its most ambitious event yet: Love Bug on Feb. 17 at the Edge in Washington. As a playful conceptual touch for this Valentine's Day-themed party, Yetman and Beyer have planned for an all-male-DJ room--including New York City techno pioneer Adam X and local hero Feelgood--alongside an all-female drum 'n' bass room featuring U.K. junglist Dazee and San Franciscan DJ Sage, with a coed-DJ chill-out room thrown in for good measure. "I think Love Bug very well may be the most solid party we have ever done," Yetman says. "I think we have a very solid drum 'n' bass lineup this time around. The whole girl-guy thing and a girl-guy tag team in the third room may seem a bit goofy, but it should make things a bit more interesting, like there's more going on then just a bunch of DJs playing." Family Productions has yet to face the heat Ultraworld and other rave promoters across the country have, but Yetman and Beyer are certainly aware of the risks they take. (Authorities in both Orange County, Fla., and New Orleans are in the midst of cracking down on rave clubs and events.) The promoters say they are cautious, willing to do what they must to ensure the protection of their patrons; they voluntarily shut down last year's Christmas party, Mistletoe, at 4 a.m.--an hour when most young ravers are just getting started. "We did not want anyone to think we were hiding something or doing something out of the ordinary," Beyer says. "Family has and always will do everything in our power to make our events legal and safe. It's not against the law to listen to techno, or any music for that matter. It just has to be done in the right place, following the right rules." So far, Family Productions has done well at keeping everyone happy. The team enjoys the support of the underground and even counts Ultraworld's Fisher--ostensibly the competition--as an ally. (Yetman refers to the longtime local rave promoter, who often DJs at Family parties, as "a friend, an inspiration, a resource, a confidant, and, as far as the dance-music scene goes, a peer.") And Yetman and Beyer say they are prepared to take their vision as far as they can. "We are definitely going to do our best to have a solid summer in the Baltimore area," Beyer says confidently. "We have some things up our sleeve, but I guess people are just gonna have to wait and see." Family Productions' Love Bug is scheduled for Feb. 17 at the Edge in Washington. For more information, call (410) 464-5401 or click on www.familyproductions.net.