Inside the Neon Jungle: DJ MetaZen Mane and Louisville’s Movement of Connection

When most people think of electronic music, they imagine late-night clubs and pulsing lights. Devon Snell, better known on stage as DJ MetaZen Mane, sees something more. Raised on gangsta rap and the raw honesty of Tupac, Devon fell in love with how music could reach the depths of the human heart. Today he is a DJ, sound healer, and community organizer who believes music is medicine. Through his Louisville-based project Neon Jungle 502, he designs gatherings where party culture gives way to conscious connection — no drugs required, only openness and a willingness to move.

This feature looks beyond the booth, tracing Devon’s journey and exploring how his events — from biweekly Movement Sundays at Jubilee Field to ecstatic dances at The Inner Warrior Studio — are reshaping Louisville’s nightlife. Along the way, you’ll meet a community of artists and healers, discover why Jubilee Field was created, and see how Devon’s purpose-driven approach is helping redefine dance floors as safe, inclusive, and spiritually nourishing spaces.

Early Influences and Awakening

Devon recalls that the first time music truly moved him was in fourth grade, listening to Tupac.

“I grew up on hip-hop — really gangsta rap — and anything Tupac did just hit me. It felt like he spoke straight from the heart,” he says.

That authenticity planted a seed — that music could be more than entertainment; it could be truth.

Devon didn’t discover electronic dance music until his thirties. In 2017 he attended Electric Forest, a festival in Michigan known for its artistry and community spirit. The experience opened his eyes to DJing as a holistic art form.

“I hadn’t realized how deep and artistic DJing could be until then,” he told me. “It changed everything and made me want to learn the craft.”

Over time, his relationship with music shifted from something to party to something to heal with.

“My relationship with music feels special and magical — a way to transform a room and the people in it,” he explains.

He began studying sound healing and meditation, eventually adopting the moniker MetaZen Mane to reflect his intention of guiding listeners inward.

Building Neon Jungle 502 and Holding Space

A Collective, Not Just a Party

Devon’s flagship project, Neon Jungle 502, began in 2024 as a grassroots series of dances at Louisville’s FOKO venue. The concept was simple: create an uplifting, respectful, connecting environment where people could express themselves freely.

It quickly grew into a collective of artists supporting artists, featuring live DJs, dancers, art installations, food trucks, and mocktail bars. The ethos echoes Devon’s belief that “if you build it, they will come.”

Movement Sundays at Jubilee Field

In 2025, Devon partnered with Jubilee Field, a new art-forward venue on East Burnett Avenue. The space includes three-quarters of an acre of green lawn, a full-service Field Bar, and a private hall called The Galerie. Created by Louisville small-business owners, Jubilee Field serves as a hub for creativity, connection, and community — emphasizing heart-centered hospitality, respect, and playful curiosity.

Devon curates Movement Sundays, a free, biweekly community dance. Each session begins with a beginner-friendly warm-up and flows into hours of live DJ sets. The event invites people to move, flow, dance, play, connect, and touch the grass — encouraging attendees to bring flow toys or simply enjoy the open sky.

Immersive Journeys at The Inner Warrior

Beyond the outdoor dance floor, Devon also collaborates with The Inner Warrior Studio for events blending cacao ceremonies, ecstatic dance, and sound journeys.

On August 17, 2025, the studio hosted A Path Inward, a full-embodiment experience where participants began with a heart-opening cacao offering, then moved through grounding movement, ecstatic dance with a live DJ, and an immersive sound journey.

Devon co-facilitated alongside yoga teacher Sunshine Shelby Ford and musician FunknBliss, inviting attendees to “step into a transformative afternoon of movement, presence, and connection with self and community.” Guests were encouraged to come as they are, wear comfortable clothing, and bring a mug — no prior dance experience required.

It’s a perfect snapshot of Devon’s vision: art and healing woven together through community.

A Closing Reflection: The Pulse of Something Real

As the last bass notes fade and the dancers drift from the grass into the night, Devon lingers by the decks — quiet, grounded, smiling. It’s clear that Neon Jungle 502 isn’t just a series of parties. It’s a movement of people choosing presence over pretense, rhythm over routine, and connection over escape.

“I just want people to feel something,” he told me earlier — and it’s more than a quote; it’s a mission statement.

Every gathering, whether under the open sky at Jubilee Field or within the candlelight of The Inner Warrior, is a reminder that music’s power lies not in volume or spectacle, but in how deeply it brings us back to ourselves — and to each other.

In a world where so many chase the next high or the next distraction, MetaZen Mane and his collaborators are quietly rewriting what nightlife can be — turning dance floors into places of healing, reflection, and joy. The pulse of Louisville’s future isn’t found only in its bars or clubs. It’s beating in fields, studios, and hearts that move together — open, awake, and unafraid to dance.

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Want to Experience one of Devon's Events?

Here's a Schedule of Upcoming Eexperiences

Creephouse @ Zanzabar, Louisville | October 25th

Movement Sundays @ Jubilee Field | October 26th

Cacao and Ecstatic Dance w/Co-Host Sunshine Shelby Ford @ Inner Warrior, Louisville | November 22nd

Neon Jungle @ FOKO, Louisville | January 17th