Meet the counselors of Dirtybird Campout East: Abi GettoAbi Getto Press Photo

Meet the counselors of Dirtybird Campout East: Abi Getto

Dirtybird Campout has grown past a simple gathering and into a phenomenon that has gained national interest. Claude VonStroke and his flock have created a truly unforgettable experience that harkens back to childhood memories while also offering an immersive transformational festival experience — complete with an endless supply of rage-worthy music. 2018 marks a milestone year, in which the Campout ventures eastward for its first time to enjoy a sunny jaunt in Florida amidst the winter months. Ahead of its East Coast debut, we assembled a batch of artist “counselors” from the roster and grilled them on camping memories, their careers, and more.

Dirtybird wouldn’t be the same without its behind-the-scene family members that help it grow and thrive. Abi Getto is one such figure, working as part of the brand’s management team to ensure operations run smoothly and that its artists are happy.

She wears more than one hat, however; aside from her management skills, Getto also helped co-found Nap Girls, and is now cutting her teeth as a DJ. She recently began picking up the art, and soonafter took to the underground circuit to show off her skills. In November, she was one of the key performers at the Wine & Cheese party’s anniversary soirée, and by January, she’d been announces as one of the performers of Dirtybird Campout’s inaugural East edition.

Getto’s sets span across a vast amount of the house spectrum, touching on sentimentality with more melodic cuts, creating a carnal effect with tribal house, and keeping the party going with raunchy tech — much of which comes from the label where she works. She dives into her inspirations in her pre-Campout interview with DA, as well as her career in general, her camping essentials, and more.

What has been your proudest career accomplishment thus far?
I’m at a pretty interesting cross-section of my career right now — first and foremost, I’m a manager, and that aspect of my career comes with so many day to day challenges and wins. I’m honestly proud every single day to be keeping up and holding my own in such a competitive and predominantly male part of the industry. As a DJ, seeing my name on this lineup was definitely the most surreal moment for me — I don’t know if I can count it as an accomplishment until I’ve played a set that I’m proud of, but this is definitely the most exciting opportunity of my career. Actually, the proudest moment I can think of that encompasses both aspects of my career would be doing stand-up comedy at Campout a few years ago. It was a pivotal moment that made me realize that it pays off to be fearless in all aspects of my life and career. I don’t think I would have felt comfortable diving head first into DJing as much as I have, or taking risks in my management career without that specific reminder of how much fearlessness pays off.

What labels do you look at most when digging for tunes to play in your sets?
I think it really depends on the type of set I’m playing – my go to labels tend to be Katermukke, Crosstown Rebels, Get Physical, and Afterlife but I have the most fun when I’m digging through individual artists that inspire me and seeing what music inspires them. I find a lot of music through deep-dives of related artists on Spotify and YouTube – I get into some weird internet holes that way.

Describe a defining moment/time that inspired you to work full time in dance music?
When I was 17 I was lucky enough to see Daft Punk on their Alive tour at Lollapalooza. I did’t have much of an interest in dance music then, but that completely changed everything for me. It piqued my interest in not only dance music as a genre, but the concept of music production. It wasn’t quite a straightforward road from there, but there was something about that show that marinated in the back of my mind, and I honestly attribute my passion for music Discovery (no pun intended, heh) and every job I’ve had in the dance music-sphere to that show.

What essential camping items can you not live without?
My water bottle — I literally always have it in hand at camping festivals, even if I’m holding 15 other things. It’s like a totem reminding me to stay hydrated.

My bathroom light — I think it’s a reading light from Amazon actually, but I wear it around my neck and it’s perfect hands-free light for any camping experience – whether peeing in a portapotty or in nature.

My sleeping bag!!! I love my sleeping bag more than most things. My friends know this. I have definitely slept in my sleeping bag in my own bed before, and I’m not even ashamed.

How would you survive if you were stranded in the woods for a week?
I think I’d enjoy it for a day or two until I run out of snacks and things to occupy my mind…then I’d be pretty screwed. I could make a fire and build a camp and hang out in my sleeping bag, but I think the boredom would get me after a while. Or bears.

What are you looking forward to most about Dirtybird Campout East?
The Bunkhouse…. the weirdest shit always happens there late at night. And during the day. It’s totally the hidden gem of Campout!

What is your craziest camping memory?
I can’t think of anything too crazy that’s happened to me while camping. Recently I was camping at Joshua Tree with a friend and a coyote made a home at our campsite. It was a little unnerving unzipping our tent and being face to face (well, face to tail) with a coyote in the middle of nowhere, but once he was done sniffing around he trotted away. He was pretty cute, to be honest.

If you could recommend three artists to catch from the lineup, who would you pick?
Other than all the Dirtybird classics…

I’m a HUGE fan of the Keinemusik guys (&ME, Adam Port, and Rampa) so I’m really stoked for their showcase.

MadamX is always the best time, her sets are always super original and so much fun!!!

George Fitzgerald has been one of my favorite producers for a while – his sets that I’ve seen have all been on point in terms of selection, so I’m really looking forward to seeing him again at Campout!

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