Chicago DJ Abigail Grohmann first met Lucy Rubinstein (Bienen ’25) at a coffee shop in Lakeview. Rubinstein brought a spiral notebook and a pen, asking questions and writing down Grohmann’s answers.
Rubinstein, then 19, was learning how to be a DJ and Grohmann, one half of the DJ duo hotpretty, took Rubinstein on as a mentee.
“I could just tell, like off the bat, that she very much embodied a DJ’s DJ, somebody who is kind of nerdy about music and is willing to put in the long hours and the hard work and the opening gigs,” Grohmann said.
Now, Rubinstein is set to perform at ARC Music Festival, a four-day techno and house music event in Union Park in September.
First notes
Rubinstein, who now performs as r00bies4ever, arrived at Northwestern in 2021 with a background in classical music and began studying voice and opera, a foundation that she said helped her learn to DJ.
“There are so many different approaches to DJing, and everyone has a different kind of technique, but naturally, mine is rooted in classical music theory,” Rubinstein said.
Rubinstein was drawn to house music because of its unique uses of instruments and vocals from soul and disco singers, something she said left her “starstruck.”
“Although I didn’t know much about dance music, I just felt super excited and curious,” Rubinstein said.
Rubinstein then found Streetbeat, a show on the student radio station WNUR. Rubinstein played a slot from 2 to 3 a.m. on Friday mornings and eventually became a mentor for other new DJs, teaching them from a foundation of music theory.
Rubinstein also connected with Tyler Felson (Communication ’22) through a mutual friend. She collaborated with Felson on his senior project, an event called The Crowdpleaser, inspired by nightclubs and campus parties.
Felson, who performs as DJ Durtystuf, admired Rubinstein’s ability to make connections and hit milestones in the Chicago music scene early in her career. During her time at NU, Rubinstein performed at venues such as Smoke & Mirrors and att1c.
“She has managed to carve out those experiences for herself and grow and just blossom into such a well rounded, talented, tasteful musician as a result,” Felson said.
A new beat
In April, Rubinstein moved to London to pursue being a DJ full-time. Rubinstein received a high potential individual visa and now works as a live-in nanny during the day while DJing during nights and weekends, having played her first show less than two weeks after arriving.
Both Grohmann and Felson described the move as “very natural” for Rubinstein.
“The dance music scene here is so rich and much bigger than Chicago, and as a 22-year-old, fresh out of college, I feel very hungry and excited to dive into a scene where I’m nobody and to start from scratch, whereas if I did this in five years, I may feel less energized to do that,” Rubinstein said.
One struggle Rubinstein felt in the Chicago music scene was as a FLINTA DJ, an acronym that stands for female, lesbian, intersex, nonbinary, transgender and agender. She hopes to “experience a different community” in London and see FLINTA DJs better represented in dance music.
Homecoming
Rubinstein is set to return to Chicago to perform at ARC Music Festival on Monday, Sept. 7, the final day of the festival. She will perform at The Midway, a new stage this year.
Rubinstein has attended the festival three out of the five years it’s occurred and described ARC as “the biggest booking I’ve ever had in my career” and “a stamp of approval.” Rubinstein said she is also excited to perform alongside other FLINTA DJs at ARC.
“It’s such an honor to watch her go from this very curious 19-year-old to now playing her first major music festival while living in London,” Grohmann said. “She’s incredible, and it’s so well deserved.”
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