For the first episode of the EDMist Podcast, I invited my good friend Jon Guerrera onto the show. I met Jon through SF EDM, a meetup group of San Francisco-based dance music lovers that he founded. Jon has grown SF EDM from naught to 2,500 members. The group has been directly responsible for creating hundreds of friendships and countless priceless moments – which strikes me as a pretty good legacy no matter what organization you’re running. I ask Jon about how and why he started the group and where he thinks it’s going.

EDC is only a few weeks away, so we also talk about what to expect this year, how to prep for it, and who are the must-see acts. (Short answer: everyone.) Jon and I discuss the merits of daytime and nighttime festivals, whether trance is best enjoyed at a festival or at home, and the tradeoff of proper ear protection.

And the sounds of the M Machine show us the way out with the song “Pluck pluck.”

If you like the episode, follow the EDMist on SoundCloud. The podcast will also be available through iTunes soon.