Why I'm Rooting for Houston's Newest EDM Venue

This Labor Day weekend, the original Warehouse Live building on St. Emanuel becomes Ductwork — a new 1,700-capacity venue focused on electronic music, and the first chapter of SILO's expansion into Houston.

As Director of Entertainment at Warehouse Live Midtown, I've had a few people ask me the same question this week: how do you feel about a brand new EDM venue opening two miles from yours?

My honest answer might surprise some of you.

I think it's great for Houston.

A Relationship, Not a Rivalry

Here's something most people outside the industry probably don't know.

Disco Presents — the team behind Ductwork and the driving force behind SILO's arrival in Houston — has been our EDM talent buyer at Warehouse Live Midtown since 2021. Before that, they held the same role when I was Director of Marketing at Rise Rooftop.

This isn't a new relationship. It's one we've built over years, show by show.

So when people ask whether I see Disco Presents and SILO as competition, my answer is simple: I don't. I've spent years working within Warehouse Live and know the building's history well, and I've spoken directly with Disco Donnie about what they're building. I'm genuinely excited about what this means for electronic music in Houston.

And Ductwork is just the beginning. Disco Presents is also developing a permanent SILO location in the East End — a 46,000-square-foot venue that will anchor their presence in the city for years to come.

Why the Concert Business Needs Different-Sized Rooms

I understand why, on the surface, a new venue in the same genre and the same city might look like competition. But that view misses how the concert business actually works.

Markets need venues of different sizes.

Not every developing artist is ready to headline a room the size of SILO. Sometimes an act needs a smaller stage while they build an audience in a new market. Sometimes there's a scheduling conflict between venues. And sometimes, a show simply makes more sense in one room over another.

That's exactly where Warehouse Live comes in.

Warehouse Live isn't an EDM-only venue — we program across genres, audiences, and event types, which means electronic music is just one part of a much broader calendar. That gives us flexibility other venues in this space don't have. We can be another room in the market. Another option for Disco Presents and other promoters when the timing or the size of the room calls for it.

And to be clear — we're not stepping back from EDM. Our next Disco Presents show, SVDDEN DEATH, hits Warehouse Live on December 4th.

Congratulations to the Team Behind Ductwork

To Disco Donnie and the entire Disco Presents and SILO team: congratulations on this weekend's opening.

I know how much work goes into bringing a new venue online — the logistics, the buildout, the pressure of an opening weekend. I'm rooting for a huge one, and I'm excited to see what Ductwork and SILO bring to this city.

Building a Market, Not Dividing One

Houston is one of the largest cities in America. We shouldn't be asking whether there's room for one more EDM venue.

We should be asking how we build a market strong enough to support multiple rooms, artists at every stage of their careers, and more shows coming through our city than ever before.

More venues. More artists. More opportunities. More people going out to experience electronic music.

That's good for Houston. And it's good for all of us.

Rich Pangilinan (DJ Riddler) is the Director of Entertainment at Warehouse Live Midtown in Houston, TX.