Ohio State student slated to perform at Life in Color ‘Big Bang’

Regina Fox
Tue, 22 Sep 2015 01:50:12 +0000
Arts & Life, Music, Camden Levine, Captain Cam, Cheerleader (Captain Cam Bootleg), featured, Life in Color

Camden Levine. Credit: Courtesy of Patrick Kudej

Camden Levine did not know an afternoon surfing through YouTube would ignite a passion in him to one day take the stage as an electronic dance music disc jockey.

“A logo popped up in the corner that said ‘Watch Ultra Music Festival,’ and I spent the next five days watching DJs thinking, ‘I want to be that guy right there,” said Levine, a second-year in business at Ohio State.

A mere three years later, Levine, who goes by Captain Cam on stage and social media, is preparing to take the stage in Columbus during the Life in Color’s “Big Bang: The Creation of Color.”

Life in Color is an American electronic dance music company, best known for its Life in Color concerts all over the world featuring DJs, contortionists, fire shows, stilt walkers and the “paint blast” that splatters the crowd with colorful paint.

Levine said he learned his craft by watching tutorial videos on YouTube, as well as interviews of DJs and artists.

During his college career, however, Levine said he wanted to keep his music and academic careers separate.

“The music industry is so fragile nowadays that if it falls through, I want to have a solid degree to fall back on,” Levine said.

Before coming to OSU, he recorded bootlegs and remixes, establishing them on a Soundcloud account, which caught the attention of several Columbus promoters.

“In the beginning, I think they found me by location when looking for someone in Columbus that fits into the EDM genre,” Levine said.

“Cheerleader (Captain Cam Bootleg)” got the most attention with over 35,000 plays as of Monday morning.

Levine has opened for Schwayze, DJ Hodor and has just been booked to open for Waka Flocka Flame on Oct. 1, but Life in Color’s Big Bang will be his biggest show to date.

He said he is nervous and excited to play among DVBBS and Delora, two acts he admires.

“It’ll be nice to get to talk to them before the show and pick their brains a little bit,” Levine said. He added that he hopes they enjoy his set and that they stay in contact after the show

Conveniently, the Life in Color show falls on his fraternity’s Parent’s Weekend so Levine’s mom, dad and sister will be in the audience. He also expects some of his brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon to be in attendance.

“My family, fraternity and friends back home have always been there to support me through the good times and bad,” he said.

Adam Steinkirchner is a second-year in finance and a fellow member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon who said he will be at Big Bang this Friday. Throughout the past year he and Levine have known each other, Steinkirchner has become quite inspired by his friend’s musical accomplishments.

“If he can do all this at 19 years of age, I can’t wait to see where he takes it next,” he said.

Life in Color’s Big Bang takes place at 6 p.m. Friday at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster starting at $38.30 with fees included.