BLAQ VOID co-founders Drue Olsen, Brandon Gebo and Randy Jimenez have been friends since their high school days. Olsen started throwing parties at age 21, and over the past nine years, that undertaking has evolved to include Gebo and Jimenez. They were all separately inspired by the late-night parties they saw in Spain—especially the stark contrast between cultural attitudes towards late-night partying there and what they saw in Salt Lake City. However, their love for our city pushed them to build something here, despite the challenges and taboos.

BLAQ VOID is truly a unique collective, because it's always been less of a corporate business and more about what this close friend group embodies. Their success has been in creating shows that prioritize and build community, including giving up-and-coming DJs and artists opportunities to build their careers right here in SLC.

"We felt like the culture could be molded in a way that, hey, you don't have to move to L.A. to have a music career or experience the nightlife, or [to] New York or Florida or somewhere else," Olsen explained. "You can still be here and have an awesome time from a creative perspective, and you can grow your career here if you choose to do that. We never wanted people to feel like they had to leave to accomplish that."

While EDM shows in SLC were certainly a thing before BLAQ VOID, they brought a unique take by curating events with different genres that you wouldn't normally see in the late night. "For example, trap music going crazy at 4 a.m. didn't exist in Salt Lake when we started," Gebo said.

What they ask in return is for people to trust them. You may not know where the next party will be, nor will you know the DJs on the lineup until you are in front of the DJ booth, but regardless, you know it will be a good time. You may go through a secret tunnel or be in a multi-level garage, but there is an excitement to the surprise.

"We pretty much try to have a different venue every time," Jimenez added. "Switch it up, keep people on their toes and you have kind of a clue of who might be the headliner, but it's never the main thing that brings people necessarily. Most are DJs who have never played in Utah."

What makes this upcoming event "Embrace the Void" special is that they've teamed up with Mohan Sudabattula, the CEO of Project Embrace. They met through a mutual friend, and immediately saw the connection between their community-building intentions.

"We want a world where everyone has access to dignified healthcare, period," Sudabattula stressed. "And what we do and how we accomplish that is we collect gently used medical equipment from hospitals, clinics, and vendors who are rotating out their inventory to replace it with next year's model of whatever, intercept those things, clean them up, refurbish it, and get it out to low resource communities who don't have access to that same tech to help get medical equipment out to communities that need it."

This is the second year of the collaboration between Project Embrace and BLAQ VOID. Rather than holding a gala, they liked the idea of a more inclusive event that could especially galvanize young people to get involved.

"I remember one of the things that really stood out about BLAQ VOID was it is community first, and then all the things that happened as a result—the music, the dancing, the vibes—that all that is a function of the community of BLAQ VOID, not the other way around," Sudabattula said.

The goal for Project Embrace was "to take something as important and hard to talk about as healthcare and Trojan-horse it into something that's as poetic, celebratory and welcoming as what these guys do," he added.

The authenticity of the event has already proven itself in the past. Last year's "Embrace the Void" included a security guard who during 2020 was bedridden and paralyzed from the waist down. Uninsured, he had limited options, but Project Embrace was able to supply him with a wheelchair, and he eventually reversed his condition. He attributes Project Embrace with saving his life.

Historically, celebrations and parties, concerts and events are supplementary to the cause. However, this collaboration and relationship is entirely complementary. And both groups agree that "the general texture and tapestry of Salt Lake City is perfect for this," Sudabattula said. "The community is already incredibly aware, very generous, wants to see the city grow and cares about the arts. And then at the same time, you now have this greater backdrop from the Olympics showing up, to NBA All-Star Weekend, Sundance, all these bids. It was a massive push for how the city solidifies itself."

What will the future of SLC look like for future tourism, the music industry and healthcare? In a post-pandemic environment, things are different. And there is a need for innovation, adaptation and a greater investment back into the community that isn't just money—it's trust, it's respect, it's love, it's culture.

Come support "Embrace the Void" Saturday, Sept. 14. Doors open at 9 p.m. The location is always secret until tickets are secured, and will be texted to attendees the day of the event. Check out their Instagram (@blaqvoid) for more event information as well as how to join the textlist.