8 March 20-26, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | F or a layperson, John Summit’s rise to stardom came together haphazardly. The Chicago na- tive’s career timeline reads like that of a finance kid who produced some beats and sent them to his longtime friend from school, who also hap- pened to be the son of an Atlantic Records ex- ecutive. The boring truth is that the 30-year-old’s sudden fame is a product of hard work and long hours. Summit’s musical roots stem back a decade, beginning at his alma mater, the Uni- versity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he first learned to spin. What lifted Summit into the EDM stratosphere was building him- self up after failure — a lot of failure. “You’re going to get rejected a thousand times until you get it,” Summit tells New Times over Zoom from his Miami condo. London-based house label Defected Records, for example, rejected his demo submission nearly 100 times. However, the label did something other imprints didn’t — it told Summit what he could do to improve. Taking in the feedback, Summit crafted “Deep End,” releasing it in May 2020 via De- fected amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Per- haps it was everyone yearning for nightclubs and music festivals, but the track quickly amassed listens, helping launch Summit’s ca- reer to unfathomable heights. The six-trick track quickly surpassed 50 million streams on Spotify. The sugary vocal work and intense, undulating bass lines lifted Summit from just another DJ to an in-de- mand globetrotting producer. “I think denial applies to anything in life. You get turned down, and it’s like, ‘Damn!’ But you learn why, and you try again and again. You have nothing to lose,” he says. Chicago Backstory There likely wouldn’t be a Summit if it weren’t MIAMI MUSI PEAK PERFORMANCE SISTERACTS How John Summit conquered EDM. BY GRANT ALBERT E ven in 2025, the dance music industry can still feel very much like a boy’s club. It’s still common to see more women dancing behind the DJ in- stead of the one command- ing the decks. Still, the number of women taking partygoers on a musical journey is on the rise, with some of the biggest names in dance music these days being women. (Think Peggy Gou or Sara Landry.) It can be easy to get lost in the sea of lineups during Miami Music Week. However, some of the most talked-about sets belong to women push- ing the boundaries of electronic music. Whether it’s deep house under the relentless Miami sun or pounding techno in a dark warehouse, these women bring the kind of energy that keeps the crowd alive and kicking well beyond sunrise. Beyond the parties, Femme House is returning for MMW to present the Femmys, its inaugural event honoring dance music’s trailblazers. This year’s honorees include Sara Landry, DJ Minx, DJ Lady D, Barbara Tucker, and Crystal Waters. The event will take place at Palm Tree Club on Thurs- day, March 27. Coco & Breezy Looking for pure, feel-good energy? Coco & Breezy are set to deliver just that with their uplift- ing DJ sets. The identical twin duo fuses soulful house, Afro-Latin rhythms, and disco-infused grooves into a vibrant, sun-soaked experience. Their sets are all about movement, joy, and infec- tious positivity, making this the perfect stop for those who want high-energy beats with an uplift- ing twist. Insomniac Records. 1 p.m. Friday, March 28, at the National Hotel, 1677 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; thenhpoolparties.com. Tickets cost $93.85 to $100.46 via dice.fm.Dirtybird vs. Noir Fever. 8 p.m. Friday, March 28, at ZeyZey, 353 NE 61st St., Miami; zeyzeymiami.com. Tickets cost $20 to $40 via shotgun.live.A-Trak & Friends. 8 p.m. Meet the women dominating Miami Music Week 2025. BY CASSIE MARTINEZ >> p10 Coco & Breezy John Summit Moodswing Music photo Photo by Moises Garcia
