The Red Room: Pomona's underground collective for sexy house music

Sarah Van Buskirk

Freelance Journalist

From its disc spinning debut in a living room with just a mixer and some friends, to now hosting multi-stage events with headliners that played at EDC, the Red Room Collective continues to amplify the potential of on-the-rise DJ’s as they celebrate their one-year anniversary on Sept. 27.

The Red Room Collective crew is made of seven DJ’s: Artistik, Cri8, Daniel Alejandro, Eddie Wonders, Enrique Luna, J4T and YL. Every Friday at the STARS Restrobar on 197 E Second St. in Pomona, the Collective inhabits the subterranean level, with DJ equipment set up in a 360 degree, Boiler Room style that keeps the vibes hot and intimate.

The DJ line-ups consist of Red Room crew members and other Los Angeles based DJ’s.

“We are trying to push and motivate the younger DJs we have recruited by telling them if they are really interested in this, a quick way to get recognized is to speak through your music,” Enrique Luna said. “We are trying to help the young artists out in the community.”

A bar, billiards and beer pong are also situated inside for those who want to step away from the dance floor. Over this summer, the Collective hosted open-air sets on the patio of STARS, to provide a much needed respite from the heat.

During the early days of its production, the Red Room, originally known as La Collectiva, would only invite 10 to 15 of their closest friends to experience their music.

With the first show being in the cleared out living room of J4T in September 2023, Eddie Wonders helped set up a live stream and the two provided a show for those who knew about it.

“We tried to turn nothing into something and just play house music,” J4T said.

What they initially wanted to be a green light, with lots of foliage for the visual aesthetics of the DJ sets, became red and hot, conveying more of the Latin and house music sound they envisioned. The sultry vibe that the red lights illuminated solidified the Collective's name.

The location of the Red Room lands across the street from Pomona’s renowned Antique Row which came to be from the connections Artistik made along the way of his DJ career.

Artistik mixed tracks at Gotham City, a nightclub held every Friday at the Hudson Theater in San Bernardino. It packed in 5,000 to 10,000 young ravers of the 2000’s to live out the ultimate club experience, like the one many of Gen-Z long for today.

Artistik not only created connections with those on the dance floor but with other artists and club personnel.

The nightclub closed in the late 2000’s after city efforts to crack down on the drug and alcohol use on the premises, but Artistik knew the party was not over.

Artistik eventually became known for his club promoting capabilities, which he acquired from his Gotham City connections. The previous owner of the STARS Restrobar, formerly The Metro Restropub, asked Artistik to bring some life to the bar once a week. The owner allowed room for artistic freedom at his bar after hearing about the 10 charter buses filled with college kids ready for a party Artistik promoted at the Fox Theater in Pomona. He had trust in Artistik to bring people together and provide entertainment.

Artistik went on to set up a beer pong tournament at The Metro with a $200 cash prize and it was a hit for the younger demographic. The owner saw each week’s reoccurring participation and gave Artistik a blank canvas in the downstairs level to bring in more nightlife to his bar.

Artistik hit up J4T telling him about the space he procured at The Metro a few months before the first ever Red Room happening in J4T’s living room. After realizing his home may not be the right fit for their vision, J4T was down, but only had one rule.

“I told him I was only going to do it if we do something with house music,” J4T said. “ I don't want to do no reggaeton, no hip-hop; I want it to be strictly house.”

After revisiting old connections and gathering the crew members that make up the Collective today, the Red Room was born. Through much evolution, trials and tribulations, the Collective stayed dedicated through its less popular weeks. They remained authentic in their mission to provide open decks for aspiring or veteran DJs, and built a community that allowed the music to take over, even if there were little to none in the crowd.

Eddie Wonders said the family-like feel between all the crew members has built a solid foundation to steer the Red Room in the right direction. He said they emphasize having a good time while keeping a healthy balance of serious professionalism.

“We joke around with each other but also hold each other accountable,” Eddie Wonders said. “There is a lot of good communication within and always room for improvement.”

Today the Red Room shuffles in 150 to 200 people on Fridays with security at the door and inside the venue.

The Red Room emphasizes safety and comfortability, providing a community encapsulated in a room where people with similar interests can dance without feeling uneasy or judged.

“The natural community the Red Room has built is a testimony that the offspring that come out of here are going to be great,” Artistik said. “People come to the Red Room for its unique sound, so the music is going to talk for itself.”

Up until mid-July, before they saw their social media and attendance grow exponentially, the Collective had no cover charge being the only club in Downtown Pomona where music lovers could dance and have fun for free. Now only charging $10 to $15 with occasional two-for-one deals, the Red Room is still cheaper compared to competitors down the street.

“(Artistik) told me to come check out the Red Room and bring my camera and I think it was J4T playing and I was like ‘yo this is good I like this’,” Andrew Made, a Los Angeles based photographer and Red Room photographer, said. “I was trying to Shazam songs and I remember I couldn’t get them, I was like ‘What the f***, hell yeah!’.”

The hard work of gathering eye-catching artists that match the Red Room’s sound every week has paid off with the success they produced within their first year.

The Collective already craves bigger potential for themselves in the upcoming year as whispered plans of throwing after parties, commonly known as “Afters” in the rave community, may be in the future. Other ideas mentioned were Face2Face sets, where two DJs play sets facing each other without communicating. Residencies will soon be established for DJs to play one to two times a month at the Red Room.

With the aspiring dream to book a few stages at a big festival, the Red Room Collective made leaps and bounds for a couple of friends and their start-up. Their passion for house music and fun-filled moments has fueled the fire for even more achievement. 

The Red Room welcomes 18 DJs for a three-stage event to honor the first year under their belt, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sept. 27 at 197 E Second St. in Pomona.

For more information visit shotgun.live/venues/red-room-collective

Sarah Van Buskirk can be reached at bysarahvanbuskirk@gmail.com.