Author: bluemoonbeats

Jillian & Andrew’s Wedding 4-18-2026
Last night’s wedding was FUN. From the moment the guests walked in, you could tell they were ready to party. When I move guests from the cocktail area into the reception hall, I always play an upbeat, fun song, with the goal being to remind people they are walking into a party. I could tell it was working last night, because several people danced into the room before taking their seat for dinner. During dinner, I saw people dancing in their seats, so it was no surprise that when it came time to dance, everyone danced, and most of them kept dancing for the entire night.

There are several reasons that the dance floor stayed full last night:
1. The guests were there to dance. Some groups are more into dancing than others, and this was definitely a dancing crowd.
2. I read the room. If you look through the track list below, you’ll see that I moved from genre to genre, switched tempos, and kept things flowing all night. I don’t brag often, but I am really good at this, and last night is evidence of that skill.
3. The MOST IMPORTANT REASON: the couple allowed ample time for dancing. Last night’s timeline was very simple:
5:30 Cocktail hour
6:30 Guests move into reception hall
6:40 Introduce the couple
6:42 First dance, parent dances, champagne tower
6:50 Dinner starts
8:00 Bride & Groom give think you speech
8:05 Group picture on dance floor
8:08 Dancing
10:50 Dancing ends
10:55 Private last dance
11:00 Reception ends

Note two important things: there were just under 3 hours allocated for dancing, and it was uninterrupted. There was no stopping to cut a cake, toss a bouquet, have an anniversary dance, serve a late night snack, or to do anything else. There were cocktails, there was a dinner, and then there was dancing, Lots of dancing. THAT is how you create a wedding day timeline that turns into a fun dance party.

Now that I’ve provide the recipe for a successful wedding party that you are all invited to copy, I’ll go back to writing about last night in particular. Many of the guests traveled to Austin to be at the wedding, primarily from Detroit and Boston. Knowing that there were guests from those cities helped me when it came to selecting the songs once dancing started. Different cities groove to different music, and some of my music choices were based on what I learned during the cocktail hour.

The reception took place at the Thompson Hotel, in Austin, Texas. This was my first time performing there, and I appreciate all the work Serafin and his team performed behind the scenes that made my job easy. I didn’t have to worry about anything other than being a DJ. I’m also quite grateful to Meek and Wild, the wedding planners, who are florists as well, who kept everything flowing on schedule, to the minute (a rarity in this industry), and made the room look beautiful.

In addition to DJ’ing, I brought a saxophonist who played for an hour during cocktails, and another hour during dinner. I also supplied a photobooth, so guests had printed pictures to take home as a remembrance of the night.

Finally, as always, I will share what I played, and in what order I played it.

Cocktail Music

Summer Wind – Frank Sinatra
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon – Janis Siegel
It’s Only a Paper Moon – Nat King Cole
Love and Marriage – Frank Sinatra
Hello, Dolly! – Louis Armstrong
I Left My Heart in San Francisco – Tony Bennett
I Can’t Get Started – Bunny Berigan
Anything Goes – Tony Bennett
Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby? – Dinah Washington
Angelina – Zooma Zooma – Louis Prima
Undecided – Ella Fitzgerald
Fever – Peggy Lee
Cheek to Cheek – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Sunday In New York – Bobby Darin
Sway (Quien Sera) – Dean Martin
Rags to Riches – Tony Bennett
Begin the Beguine – Andrews Sisters
Begin the Beguine – Ella Fitzgerald
Make Somebody Happy – Jimmy Durante
Takes Two To Tango – Pearl Bailey

Reception Music

Guests Move Inside: Rock With You – Michael Jackson
Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) – The Detroit Emeralds
Unchain My Heart – Ray Charles

Couple’s Introduction: Bring ‘Em Out – T.I.

First Dance: Maybe I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney
Father / Daughter Dance: My Wish – Rascal Flatts
Mother / Son Dance: Even As You Go – Compass Road

Champagne Tower: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – James Taylor

Dinner Music

I Can’t Help Myself – The Four Tops
Ooh Baby Baby – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Funky Drummer – James Brown
Lovely Day – Bill Withers

Saxophonist’s Set

Pictures of You – The Cure
Private Eyes – Hall & Oates
You’re So Vain – Carly Simon
What Is Hip? – Tower of Power
Somebody to Love – Queen
Fernando – ABBA

Dancing

I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
Copacabana (At the Copa) – Barry Manilow
Bizarre Love Triangle – New Order
Like a Prayer – Madonna
Show Me Love – Robin S.
Wannabe – Spice Girls
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) – The Backstreet Boys
Poison – Bell Biv DeVoe
Apache – Sugar Hill Gang
Uptown Funk [feat. Bruno Mars] – Mark Ronson
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
SexyBack – Justin Timberlake
Sarà Perché Ti Amo – Ricchi e Poveri
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift
Teach Me How To Dougie – Cali Swag District
Tequila – The Champs
California Love [feat. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman] – 2Pac
Hypnotize – Notorious B.I.G.
Party In the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus
…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
Wobble Baby – V.I.C.
Dancing Queen – ABBA
Levitating – Dua Lipa
Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
I Was Made For Lovin’ You – Kiss
Be My Baby – The Ronettes
It’s Tricky – Run-D.M.C.
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
Levels – Avicii
I Love It [feat. Charli XCX] – Icona Pop
Tití Me Preguntó – Bad Bunny
Trap Queen – Fetty Wap
Mo Bamba – Sheck Wes
Sicko Mode [feat. Drake] – Travis Scott
Stanky Legg – GS Boyz
All I Do Is Win [feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross] – DJ Khaled
Without Me – Eminem
1, 2 Step – Ciara
Dancing On My Own – Robyn
Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
All the Small Things – Blink-182
Toxic – Britney Spears
Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks
Paper Rings – Taylor Swift
Yeah [feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris] – Usher
Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
Walk This Way – Run-D.M.C.
Intergalactic – Beastie Boys
Old Time Rock & Roll – Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
Twist and Shout – The Beatles
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Take On Me – a-ha
As It Was – Harry Styles
Cupid Shuffle – Cupid
Fergalicious – Fergie
We Found Love [feat. Calvin Harris] – Rihanna

Last Dance: Closing Time – Semisonic

Private Last Dance: You – Miley Cyrus
April 19, 2026
Black Sparrow Music Hall 4-10-26

I seldom DJ public events, but I’m always open to it, so when two great businesses in Taylor, Texas, Black Sparrow Music Hall and Ripple & Rose Cafe, contacted me and asked me if I’d DJ a night for them, of course I said yes. They chose ’90s Hip Hop House Party as the theme, and from there, it was up to me.

Of course I had to play exclusively records at a ’90s house party. That’s how it was done back then, so I filled a couple crates with vinyl 12″ singles, packed up my turntables, and drove to Taylor last night. So yes, every song below was spun from its original vinyl pressing!

You may notice that the first two songs are not hip hop songs. I started playing a few minutes early to warm up, and the only patrons at that point were an older couple who asked if I could play a couple country songs for them, so I obliged them. As Brooks & Dunn were winding down, the doorman started letting folks in, so I switched into hip hop mode and never looked back.

We drew a great crowd. The dance floor was pretty much at capacity the entire night, and everyone sang and shouted along with the songs. At the end of the night, one patron, who introduced herself as Marissa, presented me with what she described as a drawing of my set. She said she’d sat and sketched the night as it happened. It was very kind of her to do that, and she gave me permission to share a picture of the drawing, which I’ve done below the set list.

And, on that topic, here are the records that I played, in the order in which I played them, last night at the music hall.

Man! I Feel Like a Woman! – Shania Twain
My Maria – Brooks & Dunn
Groove is in the Heart – Deee-Lite
Now That We’ve Found Love – Heavy D & the Boyz
The Magic Number – De La Soul
Don’t Stop the Rock – Freestyle
Supercuts (Yeah Boy) – Rodney O Joe Cooley
No Sleep Till Brooklyn – Beastie Boys
Shoop – Salt N’ Pepa
Can I Kick It? – A Tribe Called Quest
Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz [feat. T.J. Swan] – Biz Markie
Hand On the Pump – Cypress Hill
Call Me D-Nice – D-Nice
Let’s Do It In the Dancehall – Jamalski
Needle to the Groove – Mantronix
King of Rock – Run-D.M.C.
The Overweight Lover’s In the House – Heavy D & the Boyz
Hip Hop Hooray – Naughty By Nature
Ditty – Paperboy
Indo Smoke – Mista Grimm
Goin’ Back to Cali – Notorious B.I.G.
You Gots to Chill – EPMD
Hip Hop Junkies – Nice ‘N Smooth
Here Comes the Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze
Puerto Rico – Frankie Cutlass
Shamrocks & Shenanigans – House of Pain
This Is For the Homies – Rodney O Joe Cooley
Too Close – Next
I Wanna Sex You Up – Color Me Badd
Hey Ladies – Beastie Boys
Jump – Kriss Kross
Mama Said Knock You Out – L.L. Cool J
Children’s Story – Slick Rick
This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
Jack of Spades – Boogie Down Productions
I Ain’t No Joke – Eric B. & Rakim
Rollin’ With Kid ‘N Play – Kid ‘N Play
Walk This Way – Run-D.M.C.
Intergalactic – Beastie Boys
Jump Around – House of Pain
New Jack Swing – Wrecks ‘N Effect
The Power – Chill Rob G.
Miami Bass – Stetsasonic
Jingling Baby [Remixed and Still Jingling] – L.L. Cool J
It Takes Two – Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock
Poison – Bell Biv DeVoe
Gonna Make You Sweat – C & C Music Factory
You Got It (The Right Stuff) – New Kids on the Block
1, 2, 3, 4 – Coolio
Apache – Sugar Hill Gang
Do It to the Crowd – Twin Hype
Feels Good [Ben Liebrand Remix] – Tony! Toni! Toné!
Bust a Move – Young MC
Funky Cold Medina – Tone Lôc
Ring ‘Em – MC Hammer
The Roof is On Fire – Rock Master Scott and the Dynamic Three
Good Vibrations – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
I’ll House You – Jungle Brothers
It’s Like That – Run-D.M.C. vs. Jason Nevins
Pump Up the Jam – Technotronic
Paul Revere – Beastie Boys
Just a Friend – Biz Markie
Pony – Ginuwine
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) – Jay-Z
You Don’t Love Me (No No No) – Dawn Penn
It Was a Good Day – Ice Cube
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot
Whoomp! (There It Is) – Tag Team
Push It – Salt N’ Pepa
It’s Tricky – Run-D.M.C.
You Be Illin’ – Run-D.M.C.
U Can’t Touch This – MC Hammer
Shake It – M.C. Shy-D
Get UR Freak On – Missy Elliott
No Diggity [feat. Dr. Dre] – Blackstreet
Freaks of the Industry – Digital Underground
I’m a Player – Too Short
Ms. Fat Booty – Mos Def
C.R.E.A.M. – Wu-Tang Clan
Hypnotize – Notorious B.I.G.
Brass Monkey – Beastie Boys
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Treat ‘Em Right – Chubb Rock
The Creator – Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Candy Rain – Soul 4 Real
No Scrubs – TLC
Killing Me Softly – Fugees
(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) – Beastie Boys

Here are some pictures of the drawing that was made for me. The backside folds over and connects to itself. You can probably see what I mean in the pictures better than if I try to describe it further.

April 11, 2026
Emily & Micah’s Wedding 3-29-26

I DJ’ed back-to-back weddings on Saturday and Sunday, so you’re getting back-to-back playlist posts. Lucky you!

Yesterday’s wedding was in Lockhart, at Wild Roots Getaways & Gatherings. It’s a rustic, quaint venue with a great, air-conditioned banquet room, a beautiful ceremony site nestled in a forest glade, complete with wooden benches, and an outdoor pavilion with a black and white checkered dance floor, as well as spacious lawns for lounging and gaming. It has everything one can want from a wedding venue.

Here’s a breakdown of what I played throughout the day.

Pre-Ceremony Music

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty – Rasmus H. Thomsen
Pure – Draw Close
How Great Thou Art – Rasmus H. Thomsen
Deep Love of Jesus – Draw Close
Gratitude – David Lindner
Oh to Be Loved – Draw Close
In Christ Alone – Piano Praises
At Your Feet [feat. Simon Wester] – Khamir Music
Lovely – Draw Close
The Peace of God – Khamir Music
Redeemed [feat. Simon Wester] – Khamir Music

Ceremony

Bridal Party: Goodness of God – Lighthouse Piano
Bridal Processional: Come Thou Fount – The Worship Pianist
Recessional: Be My Baby – The Ronettes

Cocktails

Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
Mouthful of Diamonds – Phantogram
Nothing Can Change This Love – Sam Cooke
La Grange – ZZ Top
Dance, Dance, Dance – Lykke Li
Amarillo By Morning – George Strait
Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Frankie Valli
Show Me How – Men I Trust
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Elton John & Kiki Dee
Should’ve Been a Cowboy – Toby Keith
Jack & Diane – John Mellencamp

Couple’s Introduction: Brighter Shade – Lost Dog Street Band

Dinner

Dancing in the Moonlight – King Harvest
(You’re the) Devil in Disguise – Elvis Presley
Burn, Burn, Burn – Zach Bryan
Dance the Night Away – Shane Smith & the Saints
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
A Little While – Yellow Days
Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Sedona – Houndmouth
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Pride and Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughan
Choosin’ Texas – Ella Langley
Pink Skies – Zach Bryan
Hands Down – The Greeting Committee
Back on 74 – Jungle
Little L – Jamiroquai
You Get What You Give – New Radicals

Dancing

First Dance: Wondering Why – The Red Clay Strays
Mother / Son Dance: Custom Prayer Song

Jump – Van Halen
September [Phats & Small Remix] – Earth Wind & Fire
All My Ex’s Live In Texas – George Strait
P.Y.T. – Michael Jackson
Blue Monday – New Order
You Spin Me ‘Round (Like a Record) – Dead Or Alive
Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode
Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) – Neil Diamond
Heartache on the Dance Floor – Jon Pardi
I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
Club Can’t Handle Me [feat. David Guetta] – Flo Rida
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
Be My Baby – The Ronettes
It’s Tricky – Run-D.M.C.
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Copperhead Road – Steve Earle
Dancing Queen – ABBA
Neon Moon – Brooks & Dunn
Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
Praise You – Fatboy Slim
Da Funk – Daft Punk
Bangarang [feat. Sirah] – Skrillex
Block Rockin’ Beats – The Chemical Brothers
Kiss – Prince and the Revolution
Wannabe – Spice Girls
Dance the Night – Dua Lipa
Right Round [feat. Ke$ha] – Flo Rida
Party In the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus
Oops!…I Did It Again – Britney Spears
Thrift Shop [feat. Wanz] – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Hypnotize – Notorious B.I.G.
Gasolina – Daddy Yankee
I Want You Back – The Jackson Five
Sicko Mode [feat. Drake] – Travis Scott
Best Love Song [feat. Chris Brown] – T-Pain
Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
Congratulations [feat. Quavo] – Post Malone
Fireball [feat. John Ryan] – Pitbull
I Love It [feat. Charli XCX] – Icona Pop
Suavemente – Elvis Crespo
Like a Prayer [Block & Crown Remix] – Madonna
Don’t Stop the Music – Rihanna
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
I Was Made For Lovin’ You – Kiss
Fergalicious – Fergie
Barbie Girl – Aqua
Danza Kuduro [feat. Lucenzo] – Don Omar
Pepas – Farruko
Laffy Taffy – D4L
All I Do Is Win [feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross] – DJ Khaled
Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’) [feat. Yung Joc] – T-Pain
Teach Me How To Dougie [clean] – Cali Swag District
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You – Lauryn Hill
Despacito [feat. Daddy Yankee] – Luis Fonsi
The Show Goes On – Lupe Fiasco

March 30, 2026
Hannah & Sean’s Wedding 3-28-26

It’s been a while since I shared a playlist, so let me remedy this! I DJ’ed Hannah and Sean’s wedding in Austin at the Texas Science & Natural History Museum on the UT-Austin campus. This was my first time DJ’ing there, though I have another wedding lined up at the same site later this year, and it’s quite a venue! Where else can you sip cocktails amidst art deco decor, next to a Tyrannosaurus Rex while a Pterodactyl soars overhead? Yep, that’s what’s in the great hall, which was where we set up the photobooth, and where the cocktails were served. The ceremony, and later dinner and dancing, were outdoors in the plaza, and everything was fabulous.

For the ceremony, the couple chose two songs.

Processional: The Lark Ascending – Ralph Vaughan Williams
Recessional: Never Walk Alone – BLOND:ISH

After cocktails, I brought the couple into the party with a rousing introduction, and played their song of choice.

Couple’s Intro Song: 6’s to 9’s – Big Wild

The dinner music was a mix of indie and electronic sounds.

Kingston – Faye Webster
Champagne Coast – Blood Orange
Sarah – Alex G.
Cobra – Geese
Anticipate [feat. Clairo] – El Michaels Affair
Pictures of You [feat. Kate Bollinger] – Drugdealer
This Is Why (I Don’t Spring 4 Love) – Saya Gray
Talk 2 Me – 54 Ultra
Chateau – Angus & Julia Stone
Back on 74 [Full Crate Remix] – Jungle
Mariella [feat. Leon Bridges] – Khruangbin
Earthstar – Hannah Cohen
Besties [feat. New Road] – Black Country
There’s a Rhythm – Bon Iver
5 [feat. Elia Rønnenfelt] – Dean Blunt
Prep School Gangsters – Vampire Weekend
Snowbank Blues – The Backseat Lovers
White Gloves ii – Khruangbin
Why – Dominic Fike
Call On Me – Daniel Caesar
Take a Drive – Rex Orange County
The Question – Balu Brigade
Marseille – Oracle Sisters
Devotion – Arlo Parks
Flood [feat. Bon Iver] – Dua Saleh
Babydoll – Dominic Fike

Then came time to cut the cake.

Cake Cutting Song: Chapel of Love – The Dixie Cups

And at last, the time to dance arrived!

First Dance: Until I Found You – Stephen Sanchez
Father / Daughter Dance: My Girl – The Temptations
Mother / Son Dance: Humble And Kind – Tim McGraw

Double or Nothing – Western Centuries
All My Ex’s Live In Texas – George Strait
Blue Monday – New Order
We Found Love [feat. Calvin Harris] – Rihanna
Timber [feat. Kesha] – Pitbull
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) – Neil Diamond
Rasputin – Boney M.
Gasolina – Daddy Yankee
Danza Kuduro [feat. Lucenzo] – Don Omar
Call on Me – Eric Prydz
Pepas – Farruko
Be My Baby – The Ronettes
It’s Tricky – Run-D.M.C.
Kids – MGMT
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Take On Me – a-ha
Sugar, We’re Going Down – Fall Out Boy
All the Small Things – Blink-182
Apt. [feat. Bruno Mars] – Rosé
Hot to Go! – Chappell Roan
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) – ABBA
Like a Prayer – Madonna
Fireball [feat. John Ryan] – Pitbull
Laffy Taffy – D4L
Bottoms Up [feat. Nicki Minaj] – Trey Songz
Stanky Legg – GS Boyz
All I Do Is Win [feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross] – DJ Khaled
Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’) [feat. Yung Joc] – T-Pain
EoO – Bad Bunny
Get Low [feat. Ying Yang Twins] – Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz
Work It – Missy Elliott
Mi Gente [feat. Willy William] – J. Balvin
Lovin’ On Me – Jack Harlow
Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runner
Doses and Mimosas – Cherub
The Box – Roddy Ricch
1, 2 Step – Ciara
Bangarang [feat. Sirah] – Skrillex
Block Rockin’ Beats – The Chemical Brothers
Da Funk – Daft Punk
Praise You – Fatboy Slim
Respect [One Rascal Mix] – Aretha Franklin
Respect – Aretha Franklin
Apache – Sugar Hill Gang
Vogue – Madonna
Raspberry Beret – Prince and the Revolution
Playa Grande [feat. Bomba Estéreo] – Sofi Tukker
Welcome to the Black Parade – My Chemical Romance

March 29, 2026
Emm & Mikey’s Wedding 9-20-25

Yesterday I DJ’ed at a venue I’ve never played before, Golden Pine in Smithville. It turns out that yesterday’s wedding was the first they’d hosted, so no wonder I’d never been there! Despite it being their maiden voyage for weddings, everything went off without a hitch, and you’d have assumed they’d been hosting weddings for decades. The site itself is beautiful, and the venue is nestled into a lovely forest. I played from a balcony, outside an air-conditioned banquet room, overlooking a large lawn shaded by trees. It is truly an idyllic setting for a wedding!

Here’s my view from the balcony.

The wedding was just as wonderful as its setting. It was catered by Mandola’s, which was a treat for me as I love Italian food. And while I’m shouting out vendors, I have to mention the photographer, Evelyn Rude. She stayed for the entire event, which is not always the case with photographers, which meant there was no need to do a “fake sendoff” or rush anything, and she was always on the spot and ready to capture special moments.

As for me, I was asked to play music for dinner, and for the dancing that followed, and the timeline allowed for a relaxed pace. I really love it when a wedding timeline allows for several hours of dancing. Too often the timeline leaves only 2 hours, or even 90 minutes, for dancing, and that’s never enough. Last night I had 3 1/2 hours in which to play dance music for the guests, and even when the last song finished, they wanted more. Instead, we handed them bubbles, and sent them out front to give Emm and Mikey a beautiful send off!

Dinner Music

La Diferencia – Vicente Fernández
En Tu Pelo – Javier Solís
Yo el Aventurero – Pedro Fernández
Light My Fire – José Feliciano
Life On Mars? – Seu Jorge
Samba Pa Ti – Santana
Tres Hermanos [feat. Dan Auerbach] – Hermanos Gutiérrez
Les Eaux de Mars – Stacey Kent
French Bossa Nova [feat. Aupinard, GraceGrace & Chezile] – Ladji Mouflet
Sea Gets Hotter – Durand Jones & the Indications
Abusey Junction – Kokoroko
Señora Diana La Ví -Eduardo Mateo Diane Denoir
Perdido de Amor – Luiz Bonfá
Mi Negrita – Devandra Banhart
Flight Attendant – Josh Rouse
Caminando – Isadora
Saudade – Thievery Corporation
Ladyfingers – Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
Elegantly Wasted [feat. Leon Bridges] – Hermanos Gutiérrez
The Waters of March – Susannah McCorkle

Introduction of Wedding Party: A Milli – Lil Wayne
First Dance: Ojitos Lindos [feat. Bomba Estéreo] – Bad Bunny

Dance Music

Baila Esta Cumbia – Selena
Azúcar [feat. Fito Olivares] – A.B. Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
Corazón Sin Cara – Prince Royce
No Se Va – Grupo Frontera
Macarena – Los Del Rio
Neon Moon – Brooks & Dunn
Dancing Queen – ABBA
Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
24K Magic – Bruno Mars
Electric Boogie – Marcia Griffiths
Head Over Boots – Jon Pardi
Cowboy Cumbia – Javier Molina
Cumbia Sampuesana – Aniceto Molina y La Luz Roja de San Marcos
A Mover la Colita – La Sonora Dinamita
Dance the Night – Dua Lipa
Murder on the Dancefloor – Sophie EllisBextor
September – Earth Wind & Fire
Time of Our Lives [feat. Ne-Yo] – Pitbull
Designated Drinker [feat. George Strait] – Alan Jackson
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton

Bouquet Toss: Girls Just Wanna’ Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
Garter Toss: Another One Bites the Dust – Queen

Copperhead Road – Steve Earle
El Botecito – Los Hijos del Pueblo
La Chona – Los Tucanes De Tijuana
La Charanga – Hugo Guerrero
Me Vale – Maná
Apache – Sugar Hill Gang
Uptown Funk [feat. Bruno Mars] – Mark Ronson
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) – ABBA
Forever – Chris Brown
Love Story (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
Fireball [feat. John Ryan] – Pitbull
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
This Is Your Night – Amber
Calabria 2008 (feat. Natasja) – Enur
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom – Selena
Stand By Me – Prince Royce
Adiós Amor – Christian Nodal
Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi [feat. Ozuna] – Rosalía
Hawái [remix] [feat. The Weeknd] – Maluma
In Da Club – 50 Cent
Wanna Be a Baller – Lil’ Troy
No Scrubs – TLC
Return of the Mack – Mark Morrison
Party In the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus
…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
Hypnotize – Notorious B.I.G.
Gasolina – Daddy Yankee
I Want You Back – The Jackson Five
Pop a Top – Alan Jackson
I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
La Vibora De La Mar – Los Kachorrillos De Tijuana
Amor – Emmanuel Cortes
Grillz [feat. Paul Wall] – Nelly
Rock Yo Hips [feat. Lil Scrappy] – Crime Mob
Shoulder Lean [feat. T.I.] – Young Dro
Stanky Legg – GS Boyz
Teach Me How To Dougie – Cali Swag District
Swag Surfin’ – Fast Life Yungstaz
Mo Bamba – Sheck Wes
Cotton Eyed Joe – Rednex
Pepas – Farruko
Last Night – Morgan Wallen
The Ketchup Dance – Las Ketchup
No Rompas Mi Corazón – Caballo Dorado
La Noche de Anoche [feat, Rosalía] – Bad Bunny
Dale Don Dale [feat. Glory] – Don Omar
Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life) [feat. J. Balvin] – Black Eyed Peas
Lovin’ On Me – Jack Harlow
Yeah [feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris] – Usher
I Could Fall In Love – Selena
Lean Like A Cholo – Down AKA Kilo

Heaven Is a Place On Earth – Belinda Carlisle

September 21, 2025
Kadyn & Josh’s Wedding 6-13-25

I DJ’ed Kadyn and Josh’s wedding at the Preserve at Canyon Lake yesterday. This was my last wedding of the spring 2025 season, and it was probably the most energetic dance party of the entire season. Part of that is no doubt due to the Preserve itself, as it has a large, indoor, air conditioned ballroom. That makes a massive difference when you’re DJ’ing a wedding in Texas in June! It was more than just the comfortable atmosphere however, that made for such pandemonium on the dance floor. I’m sure it was in part what I played, listed below as always, but mostly it was the 250 or so guests, every one of whom seemingly came prepared to party.

As soon as the anniversary dance ended, and we heard some advice from a couple who have been married more than 56 years, the dance floor was full, and it stayed that way through the final strains of Shake Russell’s “Deep in the West.” It was wild. There was screaming and shouting, jumping and bouncing, hands in the air, and people in the air, too, being surfed over the crowd. It really felt like every guest of every age danced the entire time. I love that energy!!

I’ll definitely share more video footage on my Instagram soon, so keep on eye on the ‘gram. In the meantime, here’s a recap of the music I played during the wedding.

Pre-Ceremony Music

Kadyn and Josh provided me with a short list of songs they wanted played before their ceremony began, and I happily obliged.

Springtime – Chris Renzema
Lay It All Down – Will Reagan
Fishes and Loaves – Josiah Queen
Adonai – Chris Renzema
Forever Amen – Stefafny Gretzinger
How to Be Yours [String Version] – Chris Renzema
Not In a Hurry – Will Reagan
Abba – John Mark Pantana
Open Space – Housefires
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us [Live] – REVERE

Ceremony Music

Bridal Party Processional: Love Is a Wild Thing [acoustic] – Megan Nicole
Bride’s Processional: Goodness of God [instrumental] – Remi Collins
Couple’s Processional: You Are the Best Thing – Ray LaMontagne

There was one additional musical element to the ceremony. I set up a microphone for a singer, and ran his guitar through my board to amplify it, so he could sing a song. I’ve heard some DJs complain about “doing extra work,” but I enjoy moments like that. It was nice to get to know the singer a bit, and I even got a thumbs up from him later, during dinner, when I played a song he’d mentioned that he’d liked while we were sound-checking.

Cocktail Music

After the ceremony, everyone moved outdoors to a patio, where a bar was set up, and food was passed. I provided an additional sound system outside so the guests had music to mingle by.

Beautiful – Bazzi
Isn’t It Romantic – Tony Bennett
Bittersweet – Louis the Child
Backyard Boy – Claire Rosinkranz
Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not – Thompson Square
The Joker – Steve Miller Band
Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare) – Kid Cudi, MGMT, Ratatat
The Best Is Yet to Come – Frank Sinatra
La Vie en Rose – Louis Armstrong
Good Directions – Billy Currington

Dinner Music

After cocktails, the guests moved back inside, into the main ballroom, where dinner was served and dances were danced. I typically play some upbeat, fun, party music as guests make their way inside and find their seats. I want to make sure they know they’re at a party, and start building some energy that can be unleashed later, on the dance floor.

Wanna’ Be Starting Something – Michael Jackson
Move Your Feet – Junior Senior
Power of Love – Huey Lewis & The News
Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag, Pts. 1, 2 & 3 – James Brown and His Famous Flames
Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) – The Detroit Emeralds
This Magic Moment – The Drifters
Better Together – Jack Johnson
Kiss Me – Sixpence None The Richer
I Miss You – Blink-182
Archie, Marry Me – Always (This is the song Beckett, the ceremony singer, mentioned to me.)

At this point, Kadyn and Josh were ready to rejoin the party, and of course I had to bring them into the room in my energetic, and I’d say inimitable, style. The came into a song of their choice.

Couple’s Introduction: Signed, Sealed & Delivered – Stevie Wonder

After that energetic moment, I settled things down a bit, and played music that is still upbeat, but more conducive to dining.

Butterflies – Kacy Musgraves
Beautiful Crazy – Luke Combs
Greatest Love Story – LANCO
Burn, Burn, Burn – Zach Bryan
More Than My Hometown – Morgan Wallen
Talkin’ Tennessee – Morgan Wallen
The Architect – Kacey Musgraves
Dive – Luke Combs
7 Summers – Morgan Wallen
Smile – Uncle Kracker
Sun to Me – Zach Bryan
One Man Band – Old Dominion
You Should Probably Leave – Chris Stapleton
All Your’n – Tyler Childers
Diamond In My Pocket – Cody Johnson

Dance Music

First Dance: Space and Time – Tyler Childers
Father Daughter Dance: When She Grows Up – Craig Campbell
Mother Son Dance: Deeper Than the Holler – Randy Travis

Anniversary Dance: Angel Eyes – The Jeff Healey Band

And now it’s time to get the party started! And boy did it start, and keep going. This really was one of the liveliest, dancing-est groups I’ve played for in some time. It seemed that the dance floor was not only full, but loud and energetic, for the duration of the party. This group really got down, and here’s what they got down to.

Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right – Billy Currington
Amarillo By Morning – George Strait
Man! I Feel Like a Woman! – Shania Twain
Don’t Stop the Music – Rihanna
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) – ABBA
Fireball [feat. John Ryan] – Pitbull
I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
I Was Made For Lovin’ You – Kiss
It’s Tricky – Run-D.M.C.
We Found Love [feat. Calvin Harris] – Rihanna
You Spin Me ‘Round (Like a Record) – Dead Or Alive
Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
September – Earth Wind & Fire
Timber [feat. Kesha] – Pitbull
Teach Me How To Dougie – Cali Swag District
Gold Digger [feat. Jamie Foxx] – Kanye West
Party In the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus
…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
Wobble Baby – V.I.C.
Dancing Queen – ABBA
Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
Neon Moon – Brooks & Dunn
Blurred Lines [feat. T.I. & Pharrell] – Thicke
Nokia [clean] – Drake
Hotel Room Service – Pitbull
Fergalicious – Fergie
I Just Want To Dance With You – George Strait
Uptown Funk [feat. Bruno Mars] – Mark Ronson
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
We Are Young [feat. Janelle Monae] – Fun.
Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
Found/Tonight – Ben Platt

Bouquet Toss: Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) – Beyoncé

Love Story – Taylor Swift
I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
Forever – Chris Brown
Like a Prayer – Madonna
Dancing in the Moonlight – Toploader
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
Crank That (Soulja Boy) – Soulja Boy
Humble – Kendrick Lamar
No Hands [feat. Roscoe Dash and Wale] – Waka Flocka Flame
Hit the Quan – iLoveMemphis
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
Texas Fight – The University of Texas Longhorn Band
The Fightin’ Texas Aggie War Hymn – The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band

Last Dance: Deep in the West – Shake Russell

Guests: Walking Out: Closing Time – Semisonic

Private Last Dance: I Don’t Wanna’ Miss a Thing – Aerosmith

Sparkler Exit: Light My Love – Greta Van Fleet

And with that, the wedding was over, and it was time to pack up all the sound and lighting gear and head home. I can’t wait for my next visit to The Preserve at Canyon Lake!

What did Kadyn & Josh think? Here’s some unscripted feedback they offered:

June 14, 2025
Karsen & Cole’s Wedding 5-17-25

I DJ’ed a wedding just outside of Austin, in San Marcos, at Windermere Farms yesterday. The venue is lovely. It’s spacious, and easy to load gear in and out, two factors that always make a DJ happy.

There were a lot of guests at the wedding, which is something I love, as it means there is likely to be some great energy in the room. More people usually means more fun, and last night was no exception! Let’s find out what I played.

Pre-Ceremony Music

I started with some background music for the guests to hear as they came into the ceremony site and found a seat.

Lover – Relaxing Piano Covers
God Bless the Broken Road – Matchstick Piano Man
Love Story – Relaxing Piano Covers
Until I Found You – Alan Ng
Somewhere Only We Know – Stratus
Can’t Help Falling in Love – Alan Ng
I Dreamed a Dream – Stratus
You Are the Reason – Alan Ng
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Steve Petrunak
Wildest Dream – Relaxing Piano Covers

Ceremony Music

When it came time for the ceremony, I watched for my cues and brought people in. The wedding party was quite large: 12 bridesmaids and 12 groomsmen! I had to keep an eye on the music to make sure everything sounded perfect. There were also some additional songs. Typically I play two songs before the ceremony begins, but yesterday I had to run four, and time them all to fit the processions, which I did. And of course, I topped things off with a recessional for the couple. All in all, it was a perfect and beautiful ceremony.

Family Processional: Goodness of God – Lighthouse Piano
Bridal Party: Make You Feel My Love – Magical Piano Player
Flower Girl & Ring Bearer: Slipping Through My Fingers – Riyandi Kusma
Bridal Processional: Unchained Melody – Johan Sander
Couple’s Recessional: Signed, Sealed, Delivered – Stevie Wonder

Cocktail Music

We’re on to cocktail hour!

Coming Home – Leon Bridges
(Sittin’ On The) Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
Come and Get Your Love – Redbone
Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations
At Last – Etta James
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You – Frankie Valli
This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Natalie Cole
Everything – Michael Bublé
For Once in My Life – Stevie Wonder
I Say a Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin
Cheek to Cheek – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
You Can’t Hurry Love – The Supremes
Valerie [Live At BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, London] – Amy Winehouse
Stay – Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs
This Magic Moment – The Drifters
My Girl – The Temptations
Adalida – George Strait
Every Little Honky Tonk Bar – George Strait
Kiss Me – Sixpence None The Richer
Love Grows on the White Oak Tree – Teddy Wilson

Dinner Music

And now, it’s time for dinner. But first, I must introduce Karsen and Cole into the reception area with as much energy and emotion as possible. I think they heard us cheering all the way down in San Antonio!

Couple’s Introduction: Forever – Chris Brown

We followed the introduction up with the first dance, and the parent dances. I like when couples do this, as it means we can more easily transition straight into open dancing after dinner.

First Dance: Dance of a Lifetime – Drake Milligan
Father/Daugher Dance: Stand By Me – Ben E.King
Mother/Son Dance: Her Little Man – Jami Grooms

And then, dinner time. The food was outstanding, perhaps one of the best two or three meals I’ve had at a wedding in recent memory. It was catered by La Pera Catering, and I highly recommend them! I hope I see them at another event soon, because they fed the vendors the same delicious food the guests were served. I love it!

Honky Tonk Crowd – Rick Trevino
I Wish – Stevie Wonder
Brand New Man – Brooks & Dunn
Dancin’ With the Devil – Josh Ward
Mountain Music – Alabama
Oh, Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
Midnight Mess Around – Old Dominion
I Can’t Help Myself – The Four Tops
It’s a Great Day to Be Alive – Travis Tritt
The Truth About Men – Tracy Byrd
Watermelon Crawl – Tracy Byrd
Move It On Over – Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys
Got to Be Real – Cheryl Lynn
That’s Texas – Cody Johnson
Be My Baby Tonight – John MichaelMontgomery
Work Boots – Cody Johnson
Gonna Get a Life – Mark Chesnutt
King of the Road – Roger Miller
River Road Dream – Curtis Grimes

Cake Cutting: How Sweet It Is – Marvin Gaye

After the cake was cut, the couple did a champagne toast, during which I fired off a pair of my cold sparklers. Those things really elevate a moment, and deliver a wow factor that must be seen to be believed. You can get a sense of it in the video below, which I’ve shared on Instagram as well as YouTube.

Dance Music

At last, we’re dancing, and as I mentioned above this was an energetic group. They did NOT stop dancing until the final record was spun! At one point the groomsmen spontaneously lifted the groom and crowd-surfed him around the dance floor. Not to be outdone, the bridesmaids hosted Karsen and took her on her own surfin’ safari.

Jubel – Klingande
Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
Club Can’t Handle Me [feat. David Guetta] – Flo Rida
Feel So Close – Calvin Harris
Be My Baby – The Ronettes
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
I Was Made For Lovin’ You – Kiss
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
Here for a Good Time – George Strait
Dancing Queen – ABBA
Neon Moon – Brooks & Dunn
I Want You Back – The Jackson Five
Careless Whisper – Wham
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
Rockstar – Nickelback
Fat Bottomed Girls – Queen

Bouquet Toss: Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) – ABBA

Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus
Hotline Bling – Drake
Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
Eenie Meenie – SeanKingston
I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
September [Eric Kupper Remix] – Earth Wind & Fire
The Climb – Miley Cyrus
Gettin’ You Home – Chris Young
Fight, Raiders, Fight – Texas Tech University Marching Band
Respect – Aretha Franklin
Best of My Love – The Emotions
Wannabe – Spice Girls
Poison – Bell Biv DeVoe
Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runner
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
All the Small Things – Blink-182
Toxic – Britney Spears
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
I Want it That Way – The Backstreet Boys
Medley: Summer Love / Set the Mood (Prelude) – Justin Timberlake
Get Low [feat. Ying Yang Twins] – Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz
Yeah [feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris] – Usher
Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks

Last Dance: Last Dance – Donna Summer

And then it was time to send everyone out front for a sendoff that featured both handheld sparklers for each guest, and four of my cold sparkler machines. It was spectacular, and can be seen in the video linked above.

May 18, 2025
Ana & Noah’s Wedding 5-3-25

Sometimes, when a client wants you, they really want you. Such was the case this weekend, when I was hired to perform at a wedding in Des Moines, Iowa. Yes, I’m normally an Austin wedding DJ, but this time I hit the road. I had a nice journey, stopping for a great chicken dinner and a good night’s sleep in Pittsburg, Kansas, and then spending a full day exploring Kansas City, Missouri, before bedding down again. But enough about my mini-road trip, let’s talk about Ana and Noah’s wedding!

The wedding took place at the Des Moines Art Center, a museum that doubles as an event space. There’s a lovely outdoor fountain where we held the ceremony and cocktails before moving inside for dinner. For dancing, we went right back out to the fountain and enjoyed the perfect weather.

The couple gave me some requests, but primarily trusted me to get people dancing. As long as they heard a lot of music from Two Door Cinema Club and The Strokes, everything would be good, so I made sure to include a solid amount from both bands in my set.

Pre-Ceremony Music

As guests arrived, the couple wanted them to hear a selection of songs from the game Animal Crossings, and so that’s what I played. 🙂

Able Sisters
9AM
5PM
The Roost
Bubblegum K.K.
Mystery Island Tour Evening
Island Life Orientation
6PM
New Horizons Theme [strings]
New Leaf
Wild World
New Horizons Theme [piano]

Ceremony Music

Bridal Party & Bride’s Processional: Concerning Hobbits – Howard Shore
Couple’s Recessional: Taken – Hayley Williams

Cocktail Music

Cocktail hour was time for me to play lots of the couple’s favorites, which leaned heavily in the direction of indie rock and new wave music.

She Blinded Me With Science – Thomas Dolby
Always Like This – Bombay Bicycle Club
Tongues – Joywave, KOPPS
Welcome to Japan – The Strokes
Something About Us – Saint Motel
Meet Me At Our Spot – The Anxiety, Willow, Tyler Cole
Everything In Its Right Place – Radiohead
Call It Fate, Call It Karma – The Strokes
On the Other Side – The Strokes
Rocky’s Late Night – Albert Hammond Jr.
Synthesize Her – TWRP
Bad Decisions – Two Door Cinema Club
Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush
Head Over Heels – Tears for Fears
Vertigo – Mini Mansions, Alex Turner
Under Pressure – David Bowie & Queen
Wake Up – Two Door Cinema Club
Como te Extraño Mi Amor – Café Tacvba
Sun – Two Door Cinema Club
Kids – MGMT

Couple’s Entrance: Lovesong – The Cure
Cake Cutting: Lovin’ You – Minnie Riperton

Dinner Music

Sugar on the Rim – Hayley Williams
Destruction – Joywave
Red Light – The Strokes
What You Know – Two Door Cinema Club
Just Like Heaven – The Cure
Crystal Clear – Hayley Williams
Black Sheep – Metric
Life On Mars? – David Bowie
This Is Way – Paramore
Cold Cold Man – Saint Motel
W.I.F.I. – Wildermiss
Lavender – Two Door Cinema Club
Hard to Explain – The Strokes

Dance Music

And at last, the dancing!

First Dance: Think About Things – Daði Freyr

I don’t normally share videos of the dancing in these music recaps, but, with the couple’s permission, I’m sharing theirs. They did the “traditional” thing for about 30 seconds, then pivoted to something a little more interesting.

It was a tough act to follow, but after that, it was time for open dancing, and I kept the dance floor full until the very end of the night. It was easy– the guests came to party!

Dancing Queen – ABBA
Burning Down the House – Talking Heads
Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
Yeah [feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris] – Usher
Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
Jump Around – House of Pain
Walk This Way – Run-D.M.C.
Uptown Funk [feat. Bruno Mars] – Mark Ronson
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Don’t You Want Me – Human League
We Are Family – Sister Sledge
Good Luck, Babe – Chappell Roan
Girls & Boys – Blur
Talk – Two Door Cinema Club
Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran
Cha Cha Slide – DJ Casper
I Love It [feat. Charli XCX] – Icona Pop
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
I Was Made For Lovin’ You – Kiss
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time – Panic! at the Disco
Rock Lobster – The B-52’s
Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol
Take On Me – a-ha
Hard to Explain – The Strokes
I Write Sins Not Tragedies – Panic! at the Disco
Sugar, We’re Going Down – Fall Out Boy
Turn Down For What – DJ Snake & Lil Jon
Beware of the Boys (Mundian to Bach Ke) – Panjabi MC
Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) – Beyoncé
Party In the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus
…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
Hypnotize – Notorious B.I.G.
Tequila – The Champs
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
All the Small Things – Blink-182
Apt. [feat. Bruno Mars] – Rosé
Hot to Go! – Chappell Roan
Thunderstruck – AC/DC
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) – ABBA
I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
Something Good Can Work – Two Door Cinema Club
Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode
Blue Monday – New Order
Atomic – Blondie
Friday I’m In Love – The Cure
Rockstar – Nickelback
Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
Undercover Martyn – Two Door Cinema Club
Hey Ya! – Outkast
Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham
Disturbia – Rihanna
Fireball [feat. John Ryan] – Pitbull
Forever – Chris Brown
Love Story – Taylor Swift
Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
Save Your Tears – The Weeknd
SexyBack – Justin Timberlake
Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson

Last Dance: Kiss From a Rose – Seal

And the next morning, it was time to drive back to Texas. But not before about a dozen or more guests from the wedding, who were staying in the same hotel, stopped me to tell me how much they’d loved the music the night before. Many even called out specific songs that they appreciated hearing. It was very flattering, and it made me very happy knowing that everyone enjoyed the music that much.

I’ve made it to Oklahoma! I’ll be back in Texas tomorrow!

May 4, 2025
Yini & Matt’s Wedding 3-29-25

Yesterday, I DJ’ed Yini and Matt’s wedding at Ma Maison, a wonderful wedding venue just outside Austin, in Dripping Springs, Texas. The guests were an even split of Americans and Chinese, many of whom traveled from China to attend the wedding. I was warned ahead of time by Yini and Matt that the Chinese guests probably wouldn’t dance, but in the end, I managed to get some of them out on the floor.

Pre-Ceremony Music

For the pre-ceremony list, Matt, the groom, prepared some custom edits of songs by The Antlers, which he asked me to play as guests were seated, along with a song from Flight of the Conchords, which he described as a song it “might be fun to make everyone listen to.”

Here’s the list of what was played.

Strawflower – He Antlers
Solstice – He Antlers
Stubborn Man – He Antlers
Equinox – He Antlers
Porchlight – He Antlers
It Is What It Is – He Antlers
Pencils in the Wind – Flight of the Conchords

Ceremony Music

Matt also prepared custom edits of the songs the couple wanted me to for me to play during the ceremony, which were,

Bridal Party Processional: Things That Hide Away – The Dear Hunter
Bridal Processional: Adieu – Enter Shikari

The couple asked me if I would mind Rock’rollling the guests during the recessional. Would I mind? Of course not! I encourage that sort of behavior! I even worked out with them what the officiant would say. He explained that Matt and Yini had an original song they’d created just for their wedding recessional, and to pay close attention. But of course, when the time came…

Couple’s Recessional: Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley

Cocktail Music

As is customary at a wedding, the guests moved over to the cocktail area to eat, drink, and mingle while the couple took pictures with the bridal party and family.

Dinner Music

Rock With You – Michael Jackson
Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better) – Felix Jaehn
This Magic Moment – The Drifters
Only Wanna Be With You – Hootie & The Blowfish
Tell Me Something Good – Rufus and Chaka Khan
Lovely Day – Bill Withers
Genius of Love – Tom Tom Club
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
My Girl – The Temptations
Get On the Good Foot – James Brown
Baby I’m Yours – Arctic Monkeys
Budapest – George Ezra
Rebel Rebel – Seu Jorge
You’ve Got the Love – Florence + The Machine
Heartbeats – José González
The Book of Love – Magnetic Fields
Redbone – Childish Gambino
Hey Jude – The Beatles
I Don’t Like Mondays – The Boomtown Rats
Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah) – Andy Grammer
Wedding Song (There Is Love) – Noel Paul Stookey
You’re the Voice – John Farnham

Dance Music

Couple’s First Dance: Dark Side of the Gym – The National
Father Daughter Dance: Somewhere Over the Rainbow/ What a Wonderful World – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Mother Son Dance: And the Birds Sing – Tyrone Wells
Anniversary Dance: Unforgettable – Nat King Cole
Cake Cutting:Love You Madly – Cake

And then, it was an open dance floor for all the guests.

Burning Down the House – Talking Heads
All Star – Smash Mouth
Dancing Queen – ABBA
Neon Moon – Brooks & Dunn
Who Let the Dogs Out – Baha Men
Pepas – Farruko
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
I Love It [feat. Charli XCX] – Icona Pop
Cotton Eyed Joe / Schottische – Isaac Payton Sweat
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham
Happy – Pharrell Williams
Sugar, We’re Going Down – Fall Out Boy
I’m a Believer – Smash Mouth
Party In the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus
Oops I Did It Again – Britney Spears
Hypnotize – Notorious B.I.G.
Gold Digger [feat. Jamie Foxx] – Kanye West
Thrift Shop [feat. Wanz] – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Blame It on the Rain – Milli Vanilli
I Want it That Way – The Backstreet Boys
Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
Paper Rings – Taylor Swift
Cha Cha Slide – DJ Casper
I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
September – Earth Wind & Fire
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
Lover – Taylor Swift
Until I Found You – Stephen Sanchez
Jump in the Line – Harry Belafonte
Uptown Funk [feat. Bruno Mars] – Mark Ronson
Apache – Sugar Hill Gang
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Hooked on a Feeling – Blue Swede
Apt. [feat. Bruno Mars] – Rosé
Hot to Go! – Chappell Roan
All the Small Things – Blink-182
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
Toxic – Britney Spears
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Where You Are [feat. Hayla] – John Summit
I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas
A Changed Man – Absence of Anchors
Take On Me – a-ha

March 30, 2025
Do You Take Requests?

One of the questions most commonly asked during consultations with clients in my role as an Austin wedding DJ is, do I take requests from the audience? And if so, do I always play the songs they want to hear?

Yes, I take requests!

I believe that the single-most important skill for a DJ to have is the ability to read a room, and there is no better tool for finding out what your audience wants to hear than via requests. Guests will literally walk up and tell you what they want to hear. There’s no better way to discover what music your audience wants to dance to than to have them tell you directly what that is.

Of course, I have to be judicious when deciding which requests to play, but the same can be said about choosing tracks in general. If the crowd is getting down to ’90s hip hop, I can’t toss any rap track from the ’90s into the mix willy nilly. There are hundreds of great ’90s hip hop songs, and I have to choose the one I think is the absolute best choice at that moment. Likewise I can’t play any and all requests. Knowing which requests to play and which to ignore is part of my skill set. When a request does fit the moment and is appropriate for the event, it gets played.

Sometimes, a guest will ask me to play a great song, but it’s not the right song for that moment, or even for that event. “Stairway to Heaven” is a great song, and some will argue it’s the greatest rock song ever written, but it’s rarely appropriate for a dance floor. On the other hand, plenty of Cardi B’s songs are great for dancing, but aren’t appropriate for all groups.

I also have to keep time constraints in mind. If 15 guests have made requests, and every one of them is perfect for the moment, but I only have time to play 10 more songs before the event ends, well… sadly, at least 5 people aren’t going to hear their request.

My Advice to Other DJs

Not all DJs agree with me about requests. Many openly state that they refuse to play any requests. They’re the experts, they say, and they know best. Dancers will take what they get, and like it. Those DJs can gripe and moan about requests until they are blue in the face, but my honest opinion is that they need to look at the bigger picture. Unless you are legitimately at the star level, and people are showing up to hear whatever you decide to play, you need to put your crowd’s needs first, and that means playing requests.

You may want to be the DJ who plays nothing but awesome, obscure new songs that no one but you knows, in hopes of turning people on to your favorite bands, and having those people look up to you as their top tastemaker, but reality is seldom like that. 99.99% of party guests only want to hear “their jam.” Most of the time, you can play that jam without being told what it is, because most people’s jam is everyone else’s jam at any given time. You play the top 10 songs of the moment and you’ve got it covered. But when someone comes up to let you know that their jam is something else, your job is to play it if it’s appropriate.

Often, a group of friends have a special connection to a song, but you won’t know that until they tell you. Once you do know, it becomes a powerful weapon in your DJ arsenal, and in conjunction with your advanced crowd-reading skills, you can determine the exact right moment in which to drop that song. The result? Instant dance floor pandemonium. And isn’t that the goal? Of course it is! That’s how I take my DJ game to the next level, and you can, too!

March 24, 2025