At this Boise venue, students aren’t just fans — they’re performers.
Space Banana, a local club for DJs and electronic music lovers, is becoming a place where students share the stage alongside established DJs, gaining experience, mentorship and a taste of real nightlife.
Conner Schumacher, resident DJ at Space Banana and lighting operator who performs under the name CDIGI, said the venue’s approach is about more than letting students get behind the decks.
“What Space Banana is doing for these college students is giving them a mature place to grow as music artists and engage with Boise’s nightlife,” he explained.
College DJs play a large part in shaping the energy and identity of the club itself. With many of them still learning the craft, audiences witness these DJs experimenting with mixing and exploring their own style.
For Schumacher, the process of growing as a DJ mirrors the creative journey itself.
“A creative doesn’t just happen overnight, a creative will grow themselves to be who they want to be,” he said. “If you put yourself out there, and you continue to work at it, I think the right things will happen for you.”
Space Banana’s inclusive approach has turned it into an incubator for young talent. College DJs start with smaller sets — typically earlier in the night and free to attend — giving them the chance to learn the equipment, read the crowd and build confidence while serving as openers for the bigger names.
Over time, they can move into more prominent slots, performing alongside locally known resident DJs who act as mentors.
Resident DJs like Thomas Posen, also known in the club scene as Dr. Tom and as a professor of music at the College of Idaho, stress the importance of this ecosystem.
“It’s really important for an electronic music hub like Space Banana to have established DJs, DJs that are beginning to establish themselves, and then new DJs,” Posen explained. “When you have all three, you have a system of apprenticeships where people can learn from one another and grow.”
The process encourages collaboration, with resident DJs sharing tips on everything from mixing techniques to developing a signature sound.
Posen has seen firsthand how these live performances shape students’ growth, and he plays an active role in guiding them and sharing his insights to help them develop their skills.
“Sometimes we theoretically think certain things might work a certain way when we make it, but it’s not until we actually bring it in front of a live audience that we see how the crowd reacts,” he said.
For many, Space Banana is the first place where up-and-coming DJs get the chance to perform as more than just a hobby, but as a stepping stone to becoming a professional artist.
Jon Foust, a Boise State business major studying entrepreneurship, has developed a mindset for taking risks and trying new ideas — skills that he said translate directly into his work as a DJ, where he specializes in the EDM genres of house, tech house and bass.
He described performing at Space Banana as an experience unlike any other set he’s played.
“Everyone thinks on the same wavelength — from the people going to enjoy the music to the people playing the music,” said Foust. “It’s the most electric feeling ever, and I instantly just felt on top of the world.”
Shared energy is something other student performers notice as well.
Lucy Haslund, another student and DJ centered mostly on house tech house and tracks, said the crowd’s intention to dance and engage with the music makes the environment especially powerful for DJs just starting out.
“People go to Space Banana just for the specific reason of dancing,” she said. “Because of that, I feel like the energy of the crowd is always so involved in the music.”
For many newcomers, that energy can be both motivating and nerve-racking, which makes community support especially important.
“It’s great if you have a solid support system and good friends show up for you for those first couple of sets — it can make it feel a lot less intimidating,” she added.
That same culture of support is something that Foust says has also played a major role in his own development behind the decks.
“I’m always learning,” he said. “All of the DJs help each other out, everyone’s very similar-minded.”
Through that collaborative environment, he’s learned lessons he now shares with the next generation of DJs.
For those taking their first steps behind the decks, Foust’s advice is simple.
“Pretend like you’re headlining and that you’ve done this a thousand times,” he emphasized. “I went up there with not a whole lot of skill, but with a lot of confidence — it’s one of the most important things that can make all the difference.”
Through experiences like these, students develop the skills, creativity and artistry that can carry them far beyond Boise’s dance floors.
