When local entrepreneur Mike Deichman attended his first electronic dance music show in 2017, he knew that, for him, EDM was more than a concert. More than neon lights, lasers of all colors and high-energy music.
It was the first time he felt welcomed in a space where he didn’t know anybody. And it sparked an idea that would eventually turn into Akasha Civita — his in-progress dream of spreading love, peace, unity and respect through hosting EDM events.
The dream continues Friday and Saturday with a two-night event at the Kato Ballroom. Each night features a different theme and lineup, with Friday’s “Cosmic Bass” encompassing a classic “rave” style, and Saturday’s theme, “Fiesta Electronica,” bringing a Latin twist to the niche style of music.
“You can’t sell two of the exact same shows two nights in a row and expect to get great turnouts both nights,” Deichman said. “So that’s why we do dubstep night and then Latino night.”
Bringing in different styles of electronic music not only increases ticket sales, but it markets the event to more than just EDM fans.
“It’s gonna be a good time. It’s gonna be highly energized,” Deichman said. “Our last one was phenomenally successful. So that’s why we’re doing it again with Fiesta Electrica.”
Stage production for the event will be presented by CNDRM, LZR-G and NRG Entertainment. There will also be a variety of vendors, artists and UV face painting.
Allie Glynn, of Mankato, is one of Akasha’s longest supporters. She says she’ll continue to support the mission and attend events in the future.
“I’ve been to every single Akasha event since the first launch party. They have only gotten better as time has gone on,” Glynn said. “It is an affordable experience and always a great time. I always learn something new and inspiring throughout the night.”
Glynn, 24, has been attending EDM events since she was 18 and has continued to attend EDM shows through the years. The positive impact it’s had on her keeps her coming back and says it has brought love, passion and inspiration to her world.
“I hope to see the EDM scene grow in Mankato more and more. I truly believe Akasha can and already is doing that,” Glynn said. “They are raw, authentic, positive, creative and inventive.”
Akasha began in 2021 as a merch brand, selling festival kits with branded fanny packs filled with everything from a lighter leash to earplugs. But, the end goal was never to stop at selling fanny packs and T-shirts.
“The actual first initial goal was extremely, extremely ambitious,” Deichman said. “It was to buy multiple 1,000-acre properties, build our own venue and have our own festival grounds. The goal was to have events, but my vision was so far out there that I thought that merch was going to be my avenue to that dream.”
The first Akasha show was held by accident, on Nov. 11, 2022, at the former What’s Up? Lounge. The event was technically a launch party for the clothing brand. He saw its success as yet another sign from the universe — start small, make connections and grow into something Mankato has never seen.
“My goal with Mankato is to bring a whole new light nightlife scene that is based on a whole higher vibrational culture,” Deichman said. “I think it’s not only going to bring a lot of business to Mankato — and bring a lot of revenue, people traveling to Mankato for recreational purposes — but I also think it’s going to grow our career, our art, culture and our value on life.”
When opportunities presented themselves, Deichman took advantage. That opened up a world of connections, eventually leading him to business partner, Jovi Jamilov, and other members of the community that were into EDM.
“All of these opportunities just started falling in my lap,” Deichman said. “I was just like, ‘I know this person, I know this person, I know this person — all I have to do is put them together.’”
Deichman was born and raised in Mankato, graduating from West High School and Minnesota State University with a degree in marketing and business. He didn’t see himself working a 9-5 job; he saw a better reality for himself, he said, which in turn is a better reality for his family and friends. A big goal, Deichman said, is to take care of his mom.
“All I really care about is taking care of my family, having enough to put food on the table for myself, my family, my friends,” Deichman said. “If I can make enough money to take care of my friends, families and beyond that, then that’s my dream. That’s where true community is.”
EDM has made guest appearances in the Mankato music scene throughout the years but hasn’t seen success like it has in Minneapolis or other metro areas. Commonly referred to as “raves,” the culture has a stereotype of being underground parties that go until sunrise.
Electronic music was first introduced in the ‘70s, when disco met synthpop and technology was on the rise. The genre has a vast variety of subcategories, including house, techno, drum and bass, psytrance, dubstep and more. House music is commonly Top 40 hits remixed in clubs, while dubstep and drum and bass are more underground with deep bass mixes of all types of music.
The music may be different, but the message is the same: Take care of your community, and your community will take care of you.
“The energy that you put out in the world is the energy that you get back,” Deichman said. “The more that I build the brand, the more that I evolve myself. And the more that I help others, the more that I help myself.”