Making a Scene
By way of house music and bright lights, Coberino is making a scene in Traverse City.
A look into Coberino’s budding impact on the local music scene.
Leland-raised Cobe Lund has been honing his craft as a DJ by performing for his dogs in the living room and boatside with friends. With his core support network recognizing his progression and dedication, he has quickly found himself in a position to influence and energize Traverse City’s nightlife.
From my perspective.
As someone who regularly goes out in Traverse City, I usually have one goal in mind: loud music, joyous people, and dancing.
I have a familiar route that I follow on Fridays and Saturdays. Through the city’s staple dance venues, I see many of the same faces each weekend. People spend time at one spot, drift to another, and by midnight most roads seem to lead to the same place. There’s a rhythm to it.
Which brings us to Cobe.
An old friend of mine, I’d regularly see him posting videos of himself mixing music, working out, or putting together expensive outfits. Then one day I noticed he had booked his first venue show at VI Grill in Suttons Bay.
Unfortunately, I missed that one.
Within a week, however, he surprised me again by landing a five-hour Saturday night set at Hotel Indigo’s rooftop bar in downtown Traverse City. It was a quick jump from living-room mixes and boat parties to one of the city’s most visible stages.
That felt worth paying attention to.
The jump from living room mixing to rooftop crowds was quick, but this isn't where music began for Cobe. During a phone call squeezed between meetings, Cobe and I talked festivals, boat parties, dance culture, and why he decided to get behind the decks.
The Interview
WabsWorld For people who don’t know you, who are you?
Coberino I’m Cobe. I’m 25 years old. I grew up in Leland and have deep roots in Northern Michigan. My mom’s side of the family goes back about six generations up here, so this place has always been home.
WabsWorld How did DJing start?
Coberino Pretty much exactly how you’d imagine. I was setting up wherever I could in the house and practicing. I’ve got tons of videos of myself doing some of the worst transitions of all time. I just wanted to learn because I was going to concerts and festivals and having the best time ever. Seeing DJs control the energy of a crowd made me think, “I want to do that.”
WabsWorld What got you into house music specifically?
Coberino I started out listening to a lot of rap music. Then I started going to festivals like Lollapalooza, Arc, and North Coast. I’d wander into some of the house sets and the energy felt completely different. Nobody was angry. Nobody was throwing elbows. People were just dancing and having fun. I remember thinking, “Damn, maybe this is my scene.”
WabsWorld Why did that resonate with you?
Coberino Music has always been a huge part of my life. My dad had speakers in every room of the house, even the bathroom. There was always music playing. I’ve always loved loud music. Seeing DJs connect with a crowd and create a feeling through music was really inspiring.
WabsWorld Before the venues, where were you playing?
Coberino Everywhere.
House parties, birthdays, wedding after-parties, boats, sandbars around Power Island. A lot of it started as a social thing. We’d get together with friends and end up mixing for six hours straight. You start hanging out through music. It gets to a point where like, I don’t even want to sit down and hang out. I want to hang out with my friends by dancing and going back and forth with different ID’s and unreleased tracks. That’s how the music became the activity.
“The music became the activity.”
WabsWorld Was VI your first real show?
Coberino Yeah, that was my first actual venue gig. I’d played for lots of people before, but VI was the first official booking.
WabsWorld What’s been your favorite set so far?
Coberino Probably my first Saturday at Indigo.
Coberino I usually start with songs people know and slowly work into more niche tracks that I personally love. What was cool about that night was seeing people react to both. They weren’t just dancing to familiar songs. They were dancing to music they’d never heard before. It’s really rewarding.
WabsWorld What are some artists you’ve been playing a lot lately?
Coberino Silva Bumpa. Prospa. Stuff that gets people moving. I also love throwing in songs that people might not expect. The girls usually lead the way. Once they’re dancing, everyone starts dancing.
WabsWorld Why do you think that is?
Coberino Some people are timid. Once they see someone else having fun, they loosen up. You can’t help but get infected by the energy.
WabsWorld You live in Traverse City now. Why do you think house music belongs here?
Coberino Why not? It needs it. I don’t think people realize that until they hear it. Look around. Traverse City has rooftops, beaches, waterfront views, summer sunsets. It reminds me of places around the world where dance music is just part of everyday culture. People don’t always want their only option to be sitting in a dark bar drinking beer. Music lets you create a different experience every night.
WabsWorld What are you trying to build?
Coberino Just more opportunities for people to get together and have fun. Meet people. Dance. Listen to something new. Life’s short. Music brings people together really quickly. If people leave smiling, I’ve done my job.
Final Thoughts
What stood out most during our conversation wasn’t technical talk about mixing, equipment, or industry ambition.
It was community.
Cobe repeatedly came back to the same ideas: gathering, connection, energy, and creating spaces where people can have a genuinely good time together.
In a city that often defaults to familiar routines, there’s something refreshing about someone betting on dance floors, rooftop sunsets, and the simple belief that people want to move.
Whether Traverse City’s house music scene is just beginning or already quietly forming beneath the surface, Cobe has a goal to see this realized.
