Buffalo Pound Provincial Park was host to the SaskParks ‘Park After Dark’ event on Aug. 26, and after an enchanted evening with the park decorated in a nocturnal, glow-in-the-dark theme, Zenhouse Productions provided live entertainment for the grand finale event.
Jason (JayZen) is the owner of Zenhouse Productions, and was the combined DJ, sound guy, and headset distributor for participants wishing to experience the novel concert format.
Silent discos are an increasingly popular format allowing dance parties to continue past noise curfews. This was an ideal way to end the Park After Dark event, as Buffalo Pound has a curfew on noise so nearby campers aren’t disrupted during their stay.
The silent disco format has been developed over time, but it wasn’t until around 2005 that the term “silent disco” came to be used in mainstream applications. Some mention of the format in popular culture, such as in Season 2 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine which aired Sept. 28, 2014, helped to popularize the idea. In the disco, participants wear individual headphones and no other sound is broadcast, giving the impression of a gathering of people dancing in silence to nothing but their own thoughts.
Zenhouse Productions then utilized this format to become the sole provider of silent discos in the province. “We host silent disco experiences (throughout) Southern Saskatchewan,” JayZen said.
After a representative with Sask Parks reached out to Zenhouse Productions, JayZen agreed to perform, and the studio provided an idyllic finish to the enchanted evening in the park. “This will be our first time doing a silent disco out at Buffalo Pound,” JayZen said while the group was still setting up at the Elmview Pavilion. The night before they performed at Kenosee Lake down by Carlyle, Sask.
Zenhouse Productions distributed 100 headsets prior to the 9:00 p.m. start to the disco, and most of them were put to use as park guests were drawn to the dynamic light show in an oddly silent corner of the park.
Partygoers were able to chose between three separate channels playing an assortment of Top 40 hits, Electronic Dance Music, and a wide variety of remixes offered by the DJ.
“Everybody receives their own personal set of headsets. With the headsets, they have control over their own volume, and you can also switch between three different channels on the headsets,” JayZen explained. “We can transmit three different frequencies through the headsets, and the attendee has the option to choose which channel they wish to listen to.”
JayZen was the lone DJ at the Park After Dark event, but the headphone’s toggle option means that up to three separate DJs can run the show simultaneously and offer guests a wildly different experience based on one’s individual preferences.
“The headphones have a really long range and can go up to 500 metres. They are great for outdoor events, and people can put them on and walk around,” he said. “You can put them on and you’re in your own little sound bubble.”
Zenhouse Productions is part of a brand called Sound Off Experience from the United States, and Zenhouse covers silent disco events throughout Saskatchewan. Other brand partners in Western Canada help supply Zenhouse with the headsets needed to host these events.
“I’ve been doing this for a couple years now, and from my understanding we’re the only ones who provide silent disco experiences in Saskatchewan,” JayZen said. “So yeah, we’ve been having a lot of fun with it and have been doing a lot of different things with it.” The group has performed in a variety of applications including private backyard events, yoga retreats, and outdoor concerts such as the recent Buffalo Pound event.
JayZen is available to perform at your business or other social event, and with the silent format you don’t have to be limited by noise curfews. This is also a great format for groups with a diverse taste in music who may not otherwise reach an agreement on who to book. Additionally, no venue is technically off limits as participants can be situated anywhere in range of the headphones and guests can still socialize and catch up without having to step outside.
To reach out to Zenhouse Productions, call 1-306-540-5554 or visit their social media channels, @zenhouse.productions on Instagram or Zenhouse Productions on Facebook.
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