Author: bluemoonbeats

How to D.I.Y. Your Wedding DJ Music

You can’t.

I’m sorry if that’s not the answer you were expecting, but trust me, it can’t be done. Sure, you can create a Spotify playlist full of your favorite songs, and you can even create separate playlists for each stage of the wedding, but there are too many intangibles in play, and too many unpredictable circumstances that will crop up, for any D.I.Y. wedding music plan to ever have a chance to succeed.

You probably won’t ruin your wedding if you forego a DJ and create your own playlists, but you are absolutely going to have a lackluster affair. At best, you’ll achieve half the amount of fun that was potentially possible, and at worst you’ll kill the party before it even starts.

How Do I Save Money on My Wedding?

You are better served to D.I.Y. just about any other aspect of your wedding than the music. A potluck dinner in lieu of a caterer will be less detrimental to your event’s overall success than will be relying on playlists. You’d be better off nixing the videographer and asking guests to take short videos throughout the evening for you to edit together into a document of the day.

If you honestly evaluate a typical wedding, you’ll find that the ceremony and the party after dinner are the two elements that really matter. Everything in between is secondary, as the primary focus for everyone between “I do” and “let’s dance” is socializing. Family members are catching up with one another, as people who may not have seen one another in 20 years reconnect. While some people talk with old friends, other people are making new friends.

Cocktails, flowers, dinner, cake, and the rest provide for a festive, traditional backdrop to this, but that’s what it is, a backdrop. It’s what happens after dinner ends, and the lights go down and the dance music starts, that dictates whether this will be a night your guests remember forever, or “just another wedding.”

What Do the Numbers Say?

Let’s look at some hard data. The following numbers are aggregated from over two dozen surveys of brides and their guests, conducted by a number of wedding websites and publications.

• 63% of wedding guests do not remember what was served for dinner, but do remember the entertainment.

• 81% of wedding guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding was the entertainment.

• 72% of over 5,000 brides surveyed after their wedding say they wish they had spent more time planning the entertainment.

• 98% say if they could go back, they would allocate more of their budget to the entertainment.

You did not read that wrong. 98% of over 5,000 brides surveyed said that they while they would not have spent any more money on their wedding, they wish that more of what they did spend went to the entertainment, and less went to everything else.

Don’t Forget, It’s a Party

The DJ and the MC make or break a wedding. The entertainment is what turns an ordinary event into a fun party, and it’s what most guests remember years later. Unless you bring in a Michelin Star chef to craft a legendary menu for your guests, nearly no one is going to remember what they ate at your wedding. Neither will they remember what color the flowers were, or the cute decor you placed on the table with the guestbook. But they will remember the wedding where everyone danced and sang together until last call, or the wedding where the groom crowd-surfed over their head, or the wedding where even the oldest guest was on the dance floor, walker in hand, busting a move. They’ll also remember the boring wedding where everyone left early because the entertainment was ill-conceived, i.e. a Spotify playlist.

How Bad Can It REALLY Be to D.I.Y. My DJ?

Let’s examine some of the drawbacks of taking a D.I.Y. approach to your wedding entertainment.

1. The Drunken Takeover

Invariably, someone, probably someone drunk, and almost certainly someone with questionable taste in music, will at some point decide they know exactly what everyone wants to hear, and they’ll head over and, right in the middle of a song, switch to the song they think will take things to another level, but will, in fact, kill the vibe. At that point, another guest will come over and chastise them. “No, no, Oswald, that’s not what we want to hear!” And on will come an even worse song. At that point, it becomes a free-for-all, as others come up to change the song, and guests will head for the door.

2. No Mixing = No Dancing

Don’t underestimate the need for a DJ who can mix songs together. You and your guests don’t want to hear all 5 minutes of a given song. Sometimes you want just a couple verses, other times you want the full song. And when the song ends, you don’t want to wait for it to fade out, and for another song to fade in. You also need the tempo to remain consistent. If this all sounds technical, well, it is. But it’s also incredibly important! The best DJs mix in a way that keeps a steady groove going, and they blend seamlessly from one song to another. This is what keeps people on the dance floor, and how a great DJ builds the energy in the room. Spotify can’t do this. Nothing can, except an actual DJ.

3. Spotify Can’t Read the Room

A DJ can read the room. A playlist can’t. You can line up 20 great dance songs in a row only to have them fall flat when you press play, because your guests were in the mood for 20 different great dance songs. There’s no way to anticipate this in advance. The only way to successfully play for a group of people, especially a group as diverse as what one finds at a wedding, is by reading the crowd, and choosing the next song while the current song plays, based on what is happening live, in that moment.

4. Great DJs Take (Some) Requests

What’s the best way to read the room? Listen to what the guests are saying. Great DJs take requests. The best possible way to decide what to play next is to play what someone just asked you to play. This of course involves using judgement, as a DJ isn’t a jukebox, and playing any and every request willy nilly won’t work. But a professional DJ knows when a request is valid, and when it isn’t. You’re playing “Uptown Funk” and someone wants to hear Daft Punk? Yeah, that’s probably going to work. “Play some Jello Biafra next!” Yeah, probably not. Or maybe yes? Read the room!

5. The MC Factor

When is a DJ not a DJ? When he’s an MC. That’s right, your DJ is also the voice that guides your guests through the day. He lets them know when it’s time to sit down, move from one area to another, or hit the buffet. He’ll introduce you into the reception hall, bring you onto the dance floor for your first dance, and invite your father to give a toast. Most of all, he’ll adjust on the fly to all the myriad things that can, and will, go wrong on your wedding day, and make sure it all happens behind the scenes, and that no one notices anything.

But MY Friends are FUN!

I’m sure they are, but the bottom line is that for every wedding there is a minimum and maximum level of potential fun, which is based on the attitudes and preferences of the guests. Some groups are outgoing, dancing, party types, while others are more of a low-key mingling bunch. Both groups can have fun, but neither will have the maximum amount of fun possible without a live human DJ and MC there to make it happen.

Resist the temptation, and don’t try to D.I.Y. your wedding music. You only have one chance to get it right!

January 29, 2025
8 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a DJ

I’ve seen variations on this post before, and want to offer my own take on the topic of what questions to ask a DJ during the hiring process. I’ve been an Austin wedding DJ for many years, and the DJ for at least 1,000 weddings by now, and I’m happy to share some insights I’ve picked up along the way.

Many of the articles I’ve seen were written some time ago, and as the wants and needs of brides, and anyone else looking for a DJ, have changed drastically in recent years, I think the discussion is in need of an update. Many other articles on the topic are laughably bad, including one very popular list of 33 questions that exists solely as SEO fodder for the site hosting it, and is nearly useless as a DJ vetting tool.

If you are about to hire a DJ, or even if you already have hired one, you don’t need to subject anyone to a 33-question barrage that will end up telling you nothing substantial, and probably overwhelm you and the DJ. Instead, here are 8 key questions that you can use to ascertain if the DJ in question is right for you from a standpoint of professionalism and skill. Once you’ve determined which DJs pass muster in those important ways, you can make your final choice based on the music, vibe, or aesthetic of the remaining candidates.

So, here are 8 questions to ask that will help you separate the pros from the amateurs, and make sure your choice of entertainment doesn’t end up ruining your special day!

1. Do you know how to mix music?

This didn’t used to be as important as it is now, but in 2024 and beyond, a DJ who can’t mix is about as useful to a party as a rotary phone is to updating your social media accounts. Audiences have grown savvy about what DJs can do, and a DJ who still fades out of one song and into another is going to lose the dance floor. If you want a fun, vibrant party at your wedding, it’s an absolute must that your DJ can beatmatch and phrase correctly. Don’t just take his word for it, either. If a DJ tells you he knows how to mix, ask for a sample mix to verify this. There is no more surefire way to kill a party early than to have a DJ behind the decks who can’t properly transition between two songs.

2. Are you insured?

Another must-have is insurance. Most venues require it, and those don’t, should. You hope nothing will go wrong at your wedding or party, just as you hope you’ll never crash when you drive, but there’s a reason we are required to have auto insurance: accidents happen. If something bad does happen, and one of your guests is injured, or anything else unfortunate takes place, and it’s due to the DJ or his equipment, you need to know his insurance company will handle it. You don’t want to be left holding the bill if a speaker topples onto someone’s head, but in today’s litigious world, that’s a very real possibility.

3. Do you bring backup equipment?

When I perform, I bring at least one backup for every single piece of equipment, from speakers and computers down the last cable and adaptor, and every other self-respecting, professional DJ should, too. Make sure your DJ does. Ask him what gear he brings, and what his plan is if any given piece fails. You don’t want to end your wedding 3 hours early because he blew out a speaker, and you certainly don’t want to stop halfway down the aisle and wait for him to call tech support to find out why his laptop froze. Your DJ needs to have a plan in place to immediately pivot from any single piece of gear he uses.

4. Are you willing to play the music we want?

Every DJ should say yes to this, but many won’t! And some will say yes, and then proceed to explain to you why you should let him play what he wants, because he knows best. Run away! Your DJ definitely needs to know how to read the room, and choose songs in the moment that will build energy on the dance floor, and keep guests happy, but there is no one way to do that. If you want to hear all the wedding favorites, by all means let him know that. There’s nothing wrong with dancing to “Y.M.C.A.,” “September,” “Celebration,” and all those great songs. But, if you want to avoid the overplayed songs, that’s your decision. A great DJ can fill a dance floor, and keep it packed, without playing any of the cliche wedding jams. You should let him know the styles of music you like, 4 or 5 absolute must-play dance tracks, and as many do-not-play songs as you want, and then let him take it from there.

5. Will you play our guests’ requests?

What’s the best way for a DJ to read the room? Listening to guests’ requests! That makes his job easy. Instead of scanning the room and trying to determine what song is going to work well, someone is telling him the exact song to play. You can’t get better intel than that. And yet, many DJs are angered by requests. You should see the posts in the DJ-only forums! I laugh them off, and shake my head, wondering how such DJs stay in business, because honestly, requests are the absolute best way to determine what to play. That doesn’t mean you want your DJ to play every song every person asks for. He still has to use his judgement! If someone insists that the full 17-minute version of “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” is the perfect song to play next, yeah, the DJ needs to know to politely decline that one. Maybe don’t play every request for Jello Biafra or Slayer– or maybe you should? Read the room! But don’t ignore requests!

6. Will you be there at least 2 hours before the event begins?

Your DJ should give himself ample time to park, load his gear in, set up, change his clothes, do a sound check, and do whatever else is needed, with a big time cushion to spare. If he gets a flat tire en route, or his equipment doesn’t work and he needs to troubleshoot and rewire things, you don’t want to delay your wedding to accommodate for it. He should build that time into his schedule. I am nearly always completely set and ready to go about an hour before the first guest is scheduled to arrive, and your DJ should be, too.

7. Are you an experienced MC?

A DJ isn’t only a DJ, he’s also an MC. If a potential DJ is shy about speaking on a microphone, keep looking. You need someone who is not only confident on the mic, but someone who is charismatic and in control. He has to guide your guests through an entire day’s worth of events. He has to be able to think on his feet, too. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been told by a planner to “make such-and-such announcement now,” only to have that same planner whisper to me as I’m in the middle of announcing it “we weren’t ready after all– we need 60 seconds!” Suddenly I have to improvise! I can do it, and whoever you hire as your DJ should be able to do the same.

8. Will YOU be our DJ, or will it be someone else?

It makes sense to hire a company that has more than one DJ, as it provides a good backup plan in case your DJ of choice is sick or otherwise unavailable on the big day. Obviously, you don’t want to have someone else show up, but better someone than no one, right? That said, you should make sure that the DJ you speak with is the actual DJ who will be scheduled as your DJ, and not the company owner, or worse, a middleman. You have no idea how often I get a call on a Thursday or Friday from a desperate middleman who booked weddings that he had no DJs to cover, and is scrambling to find a warm body to place behind a console. I think sometimes they end up sending a friend or relative with no DJ experience whatsoever, and hope for the best. Don’t fall into that trap! Make sure you speak with your DJ, and that he or she is named in your contract. What’s the point of finding a DJ who gave the correct answers to all 7 questions above if you’re going to end up getting some other mystery DJ you don’t know?

And there you have it. Eight easy questions to ask potential DJs to help you verify that they are professional, skilled, and ready to handle the biggest job of their lives: your wedding!

December 6, 2024
Demand Factor Dinner 11-4-24

Though I’m better known for being an Austin wedding DJ, I also DJ corporate events, too. Last night I DJ’ed a dinner event for a just such a client. That’s right, a rare Monday night DJ gig! It was held at the Archer Hotel in Austin, a great spot near The Domain. This was my first time at the Archer, and I hope it won’t be my last. It’s a wonderful spot for a dinner or cocktail gathering, with a nice outdoor patio with a big fire pit that is directly adjacent to a dinning room with large sliding doors that open it out into the patio.

The event was mostly for mingling and dining, but by the end we got a little bit of dancing going. I only played for a 2 hour block of time, but I suspect had we kept going, more people would have joined the dance floor.

One song I played may not be recognizable. Towards the end of the event a woman asked if I could play her son’s track, which is on Spotify, and I happily obliged. I don’t know if Paul Jesse will ever blow up and be a household name like Taylor Swift or Bruno Mars, but if he does, I can tell everyone I was playing his music before it was cool! It’s a pretty good track, too. Maybe give it a listen and let me know what you think, in the comments below.

One other fun thing– I played the Mike Flowers Pops version of Wonderwall that was all the rage in the ’90s, and a bit later a guest said she loved the jazz version of Oasis and wondered if I had anything similar. Of course I do! Paul Anka’s cover of Nirvana coming right up!

Here’s the entire set, in order, as always!

Cloud – Surfaces
Hypnotica – COIN
I Can’t Help But Feel – Surfaces
I’m In Love With You – The 1975
Cold Heart [PNAU Remix] – Elton John and Dua Lipa
Beam Me Up [Jacques Renault Remix] – Midnight Magic
Another Brick – Sharp Soul
Controller – Channel Tres
Groove Is In The Heart [The Reflex Bootsy Q tip Revision] – Deee-Lite
Our Lips Are Sealed [Peza Mix] – Fun Boy Three
Feels Real [Extended Dance Version] – Shit Robot
Get Lucky [feat. Pharrell Williams] – Daft Punk
Kinky Afro – Happy Mondays
Crystal Frontier [Widescreen Version] – Calexico
Wonderwall – Mike Flowers Pops
Take Five – Jazzkantine
Mané João – Wanderléa
Where It’s At – Beck
Sure Thing – St. Germain
Boom – X Ambassadors
Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
Dance Wiv Me – Dizzee Rascal
Eye of the Tiger – Big Daddy
Grapejuice – Harry Styles
Sunflower [feat. Swae Lee] – Post Malone
Neva Stop Diggin’ [feat. Phil Most Chill] – Paul Nice
Midnight Theme [Kenny Dope Rework] – Manzel
Superstition [Todd Terje Edit] – Stevie Wonder
Smells Like Teen Spirit – Paul Anka
Come Out and Play – Richard Cheese
Evan Finds the Third Room – Khruangbin
Like Sugar – Chaka Khan
Careless Whisper [The Polish Ambassador Remix] – George Michael
Love Talking (Honey It’s You) [Tony Soprano 2020 Rework] – Tatsuro Yamashita
Another One Bites The Dust [La Royale Edit] – Queen
When U Wanna Come [LNTG Says Relax] – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
The NeverEnding Story – Limahl
September [Eric Kupper Remix] – Earth Wind & Fire
Don’t Stop the Music – Rihanna
Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
I Love It [feat. Charli XCX] – Icona Pop
Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode
You Spin Me ‘Round (Like a Record) – Dead Or Alive
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
I Was Made For Lovin’ You – Kiss
Shots [feat. Lil Jon] – LMFAO
Sweet Escape [Original Club Mix] [feat. Sirena] – Alesso
Your Sunshine [feat. Hannah Davis] – Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores
Feel It Still – Portugal. The Man
I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas
Moves Like Jagger [feat. Christina Aguilera] – Maroon 5
Calling (Lose My Mind) [feat. Ryan Tedder] – Sebastian Ingrosso and Alesso
We Found Love [feat. Calvin Harris] – Rihanna

November 5, 2024
Alyssa & Alex’s Wedding 11-2-24

I was back at Camp Lucy yesterday. I just DJ’ed a wedding there last month, and another in May, making this my third appearance there this year. As always, it was a great time. I started the day by providing microphones for the ceremony in Ian’s Chapel, while music was provided by a string duet from Terra Vista Strings. Everything went off without a hitch, and the ceremony was lovely.

The string duet relocated and played during cocktail hour, which gave me a little downtime. That’s always a nice thing, and it gave me time to break down the ceremony system and pack it away in the van before it was time to fire up the dinner tunes.

The interior of the reception hall looked fabulous last night. A lot of time and care went into preparing it, and the end results were well worth it. One of the things I love about the hall behind Ian’s Chapel is how transformable it is. Every time I’m there it looks different, and always elegant. Last night I played in an alcove in front of a green draping that not only made me look better, but gave me a place to tuck my gear bags out of sight. One less trip to the van? Yes! The candlelit room, accentuated by my uplighting, was mesmerizing, and the entire affair looked like it was taking place in a medieval castle. It was certainly a memorable night for the guests, and one I helped make more memorable with my musical selections, which I’ve listed below.

Dinner Music

Classic – MKTO
And the Beat Goes On – The Whispers
Higher Love – Steve Winwood
My Girl – The Temptations
My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
Tell Me Something Good – Rufus and Chaka Khan

Couple’s Introduction: Try a Little Tenderness – Otis Redding

My Eyes Adored You – Frankie Valli
Mykonos – Fleet Foxes
Cherry Wine – Hozier
I’m Gonna Crawl – Led Zeppelin
I Want to Hold Your Hand – The Beatles
One Of These Nights – The Eagles
Your Song – Elton John
Danny’s Song – Loggins & Messina
Work Song – Hozier
Too Sweet – Hozier
All My Love – Noah Kahan
Where We’re Going – James & the Shame
Rhythm of the Night – DeBarge
Somebody to Love – Queen
Turn – Travis
Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler

Cake Cutting: When I’m Sixty-Four – The Beatles

Dance Music

First Dance: I, Carrion (Icarian) – Hozier
Dances with Parents: Landslide – Fleetwood Mac

Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
Party In the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus
Neon Moon – Brooks & Dunn
Dancing Queen – ABBA
Tubthumping – Chumba Wumba
Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runner
Electric Love – BØRNS
Like a Virgin – Madonna
Stacy’s Mom – Fountains of Wayne
Dont Stop Me Now – Queen
I’ve Got My Mind Set On You – George Harrison
All the Small Things – Blink-182
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes
I’ll Be There For You – Rembrandts
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
Copperhead Road – Steve Earle
Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks
Boot Scootin’ Boogie – Brooks and Dunn

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

Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) – Neil Diamond
Cha Cha Slide – DJ Casper
Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
Suavemente – Elvis Crespo
Wobble Baby – V.I.C.
Hypnotize – Notorious B.I.G.
…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
Gold Digger [feat. Jamie Foxx] – Kanye West
Thrift Shop [feat. Wanz] – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Back That Azz Up – Juvenile
Hot to Go! – Chappell Roan
You Really Got Me – The Kinks
I Love It [feat. Charli XCX] – Icona Pop
Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
Elephant Love Medley – Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, and Jamie Allen
I Want to Know What Love Is – Foreigner
Rag Doll – Aerosmith
Where It’s At – Beck
The Greatest Show – Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Keala Settle, and Zendaya
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You – Frankie Valli
Piano Man – Billy Joel

Private Last Dance: Something – The Beatles

As ever, I like to remind anyone who reads this that I’m both an Austin wedding DJ and a party DJ, too. I DJ corporate parties, birthdays, and all manner of special events. If you need a DJ for your next party, please contact me.

November 3, 2024
Austin’s Most Interesting Wedding Venues

Austin is one of the largest cities in the United States, which means a great many weddings happen here every week. That translates into a surfeit of wedding venues, many of which I’ve been to as a wedding DJ.

Usually, by the time a couple gets around to hiring their DJ they’ve already chosen their wedding venue. On the rare occasion that they haven’t, they will sometimes ask me for some suggestions, which I’m always happy to provide.

I can’t possibly name a favorite Austin wedding venue, and probably couldn’t even come up with a short list of 5 or 6 I think are better than the rest. Nearly everywhere I’ve DJ’ed in Austin has been wonderful, and all venues have their merits, so rather than trying to draw up a “best of” list, instead today I want to share a list of some of the more interesting Austin area wedding venues at which I’ve recently DJ’ed.

I should add that I’m not being paid, or compensated in any way, for any of this. This is a list I’ve created of some of the Austin wedding venues that I think are especially interesting, or that offer some unique spin or twist on the typical wedding locale. It’s also an incomplete list! I’ve DJ’ed at hundreds of venues in my career, and all of them have something wonderful to offer, and just about every one of them is special in its own way. This is but a short list that I could easily expand into the hundreds!

Justine’s Secret House

It really is a secret house! Tucked behind an unassuming fence in East Austin is one of the city’s hidden gems. Every time I DJ at Justine’s I feel like I’m working at Jay Gatsby’s mansion. It’s not a vast space, but with its many interconnected rooms, swanky bar, front and back yards, and cozy, wooden walls and floors, it’s perfect for a small to medium-sized weddings and celebrations.

The Austonian

Do you ever want to look at Austin from a zillion stories up? You can. Okay, you can’t. A zillion? Is that even a real number? But you can see our city from 56 floors up, and that’s a lot of floors. In fact, The Austonian is the second tallest all-residential building in North America west of the Mississippi River. And what a view. You can even go outside and walk around the balcony and get a 360° view of Austin and beyond. Meanwhile, inside is a great space for a party. I once DJ’ed during a massive storm, and seeing the lightning strike at eye-level was an unforgettable experience.

Shiraz Garden

With stunning views of Hill Country, Bastrop’s Shiraz Garden is certainly one of the most beautiful places to get married in the Austin area. An added advantage is its proximity to Austin, as Bastrop is less than half an hour from the city lights of downtown Austin. One of my favorite aspects of Shiraz Garden is that it has both indoor and outdoor options. I’ve provided music for outdoor ceremonies at the Sunset Vista, and also in the sheltered space of the Outdoor Cathedral. Most receptions take place in the gorgeous Formal Garden, but if weather intrudes on your special day, you can always pivot to the indoor banquet space.

The Driskill

Old-world charm meets downtown modernity at The Driskill. Located in the very heart of downtown Austin, one can walk to just about anything one needs from the front door of this venue, which is also a grand hotel (one of the grandest in the U.S., in fact), but there may be no need to do so. Everything you need, from cozy and luxurious meeting rooms and banquet spaces to a massive, marble party space, is right here. You’ll come for the wedding, then return next week for afternoon tea in the massive ground floor cafe. If you want Victorian Era excellence for your wedding celebration, then The Driskill is where you want to celebrate it.

Ma Maison

Everything you want in a wedding venue is right here: lush oak trees, a lake, a antique French gazebo, and both indoor and outdoor spaces for your party. This is hill country luxury personified! I am always happy when a bride tells me her wedding will be at Ma Maison, and I can already picture her and her new husband looking down onto the wedding party from their balcony perch! If you want to get married at one Dripping Springs’ finest venues, this is the spot for you!

Malverde at La Condesa

Right in the heart of downtown Austin sits La Condesa, an unassuming restaurant with a party room hidden upstairs. That upstairs event space is known as Malverde. I’ve DJ’ed many weddings up there, along with some corporate parties, and the vibe is always great. The decor sets a mood, the outdoor patio accentuates it, and everything here comes together in a way that always leads to a happy group of guests grooving on the dance floor.

South Congress Hotel

You might wonder how a hotel made the list. Aren’t hotels typically cookie-cutter affairs featuring boring, rectangular ballrooms with removable walls? Often, they are, but the South Congress Hotel isn’t one of them. It features a wonderful event space with floor to ceiling windows, and one that is very transformable with lighting into nearly any aesthetic one can imagine. The outdoor pati

November 2, 2024
Jordan & AJ’s Wedding 10-27-24

I love playing for couples like Jordan and AJ. They wanted to hear their own flavors of music, and they wanted me to avoid the overplayed wedding hits once dancing started, but they also understood that my job is to make people dance, and they gave me the freedom to do just that. Another plus is that they happened to want to hear music that I enjoy– Lo-Fi electronic music, indie rap, and country, with some classics mixed in, and they didn’t mind if there wasn’t a radio-friendly version. It was about the vibe and the music. I’d have probably listened to the same songs had I not been working yesterday!

Yesterday’s wedding took place at the Sunset Cliff Resort on Lake Travis. It’s a beautiful spot, with a large lawn that overlooks the lake. It has everything needed for a gorgeous outdoor wedding. It’s great for a DJ, as you can pull in and load right where you’ll play, and one setup covers the ceremony, cocktails, dinner and dancing. Truly an all-in-one location!

The entire day was a relaxed, low-key affair. There was no timeline, no planner, nothing but me and a big group of the couple’s family and friends. Everyone was pleasant, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the music at all times. During cocktails, I saw a couple of the older guests get up and dance by their seats when I put on Mac Miller, and I knew I was in the right place.

When it finally came time to officially start dancing, people were ready. I’d seen many of them dancing in place during cocktails and dinner, and everyone was ready to go, so when “Neon Moon” came on, the dance floor filled up more or less instantly. It stayed full for the duration of the dancing, which only lasted for an hour. I’d have gladly played on, but I was told they had a hard stop. I was able to sneak in one extra song, so I let the country roads take everyone home.

Here are the songs I played. And no, it’s not a typo. I played “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” twice in a row. As the song was winding down, someone came running from the dance floor and said the groom wants to know if I can play the song again as soon as it’s over. You bet I can! You should have seen the groom launch himself in the air when it came on again!

Pre-Ceremony Music

January – Verzache
Chasing parties – Sasha Alex Sloan
The Few Things – JP Saxe
No Less [feat. SG Lewis & Louis Mattrs] – G-Eazy
Crazy Girl – Eli Young Band
Islands – The xx
Foreign [feat. Atlas] – Sam Gouthro
Happy Anywhere [feat. Gwen Stefani] – Blake Shelton
You Make It Easy – Jason Aldean
Love Song – Miranda Lambert
Crashing Into You – Vance Joy
Being In Love With You – Tomppabeats

Ceremony Music

Bride’s Walk: Missing Piece [acoustic] – Vance Joy
Couple’s Recessional: Dreams – The Cranberries

Cocktail Music

Beautiful – Bazzi
Better Together – Jack Johnson
Bittersweet – Louis the Child
Backyard Boy – Claire Rosinkranz
Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not – Thompson Square
The Joker – Steve Miller Band
All Night [feat. Knox Fortune] – Chance the Rapper
Pursuit of Happiness (Megaforce Version) [feat. MGMT & Ratatat] – Kid Cudi
The Best Is Yet to Come [feat. Count Basie] – Frank Sinatra
La Vie en Rose – Louis Armstrong
Good Directions – Billy Currington
Out of My League – Fitz and the Tantrums
Wow. – Post Malone
Bad 4 U [feat. Gnash] – Imad Royal
BDE Bonus – Mac Miller
All That Talk – mike.
Beautiful Crazy – Luke Combs
Meet in the Middle – Diamond Rio
Best I Ever Had – Drake
Good Morning – Max Frost
Black Dog – Led Zeppelin
It Must Be Love – Alan Jackson
Blue Skies – Willie Nelson
Can’t Help Falling in Love – Jess and Gabriel
Shake Something [feat. Joey Purp] – Louis the Child
Calabasas – Skizzy Mars
Donald Trump – Mac Miller
Lalala [feat. BBNO$] – Y2K
Big Love [feat. Earthgang & MNDR] – Louis the Child
Dust on the Bottle – David Lee Murphy
Caroline – Animé

Dinner Music

Scarlet Begonias – Sublime
6’s to 9’s [feat. Rationale] – Big Wild
Better Not [feat. Wafia] – Louis the Child
No Problem – Chance the Rapper
Pretty Little Poison – Warren Zeiders
You Are My Sunshine – Zach Bryan
Venice Venture – Big Wild
Time [feat. G-Eazy & Olivver the Kid] – Skizzy Mars
Awaken – Big Wild
Slow Down Love [feat. Chelsea Cutler] – Louis the Child
Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home) – Elle King and Miranda Lambert
Good Time – Niko Moon
Do You There – Skizzy Mars
Favorite Song [feat. Childish Gambino] – Chance The Rapper
Yo Love [feat. 6lack & Mereba] – Vince Staples
World On Fire [feat. Ashe] – Louis the Child
What I Got – Sublime
Stuntman – Tyler the Creator
When I’m Down – Whethan
Spice Girl – Aminé
XOXO – Cherub
Ghost – Jack Harlow
Big Fish – Vince Staples
Blue World – Mac Miller
Boondocks – Little Big Town
By the Way – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Top of the World – Tim McGraw
Red Solo Cup – Toby Keith
Joy of My Life – Chris Stapleton
Can’t Hide [feat. Ashe] – Whethan
Can’t Tell Me Nothing – Kanye West
Congratulations [feat. Quavo] – Post Malone

Dance Music

First Dance: All Your’n – Tyler Childers

Neon Moon – Brooks & Dunn
Jack and Diane – John Cougar Mellencamp
Lovin’ On Me – Jack Harlow
Edamame – BBNO$
Can’t Feel My Face – The Weeknd
Holla Back Girl – Gwen Stefani
Theme From New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma – Luke Combs
Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma – Luke Combs
Truck Bed – Hardy
Fergalicious – Fergie
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) – Katy Perry
TiK ToK – Ke$ha
(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) – Beastie Boys
All the Small Things – Blink-182
Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes
Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks
Gold Digger [feat. Jamie Foxx] – Kanye West
Party In the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus
Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver

As usual, I want to to remind everyone who reads this that I’m both an Austin wedding DJ and a party DJ, too. I DJ corporate parties, birthdays, and all manner of special events. If you need a DJ for your next party, please contact me.

October 28, 2024
Katie & Daniel’s Wedding 10-26-24

Yesterday’s wedding got off to a rough start, but only because I arrived to find there were two flights of stairs between me and where I had to set up. I didn’t know this ahead of time, because I was white-labeling for another company, and I guess they didn’t think to ask about stairs, and I didn’t think to check for myself ahead of time. I’ve only myself to blame! Nonetheless, I always give myself a huge time cushion, so I had everything inside and was completely set and ready to go an hour before my scheduled start time.

Stairs aside, the Quince Lakehouse is a terrific wedding venue, and one I hope to back at soon, albeit with a roadie next time! It sits right over the Colorado River, and offers a stunning view of the water.

From there, the evening went beautifully. I had the chance to play with a saxophone accompaniment for part of the night. I’ve worked in the past with Colin Houlihan, so when I learned he was going to be playing along with me, I was happy. He’s great, and easy to work with. Best of all, crowds love him, which means the love me by extension! In all, it always makes for a fun night when I get to play alongside any musician, but especially someone I’ve worked well with in the past.

I felt very in tune with the crowd all night, as if I were always just a half step ahead of where they wanted to go, and I was able to lead them on a fun musical journey. Perhaps the best example of that came when a guest came up and asked if I could play “Fernando” by ABBA sometime soon. As she said that, I was in the act of pressing play on the song I had cued up: “Fernando” by ABBA. She was shocked, to say the least, and joined the screaming guests on the dance floor to sing along with the song.

Cocktail Music

Known for Loving You – Cody Johnson
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) – James Taylor
Better Together – Jack Johnson
It’s Your Thing – The Isley Brothers
Big Iron – Marty Robbins
I Got You Babe – Sonny and Cher
All Over Again – Johnny Cash
So Doggone Lonesome – Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two
L-O-V-E – Nat King Cole
I Love You for Sentimental Reasons – Linda Ronstadt
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
Orange Colored Sky – Nat King Cole
Blue Moon – Frank Sinatra
Soulful Strut – Young-Holt Unlimited
In the Mood – Glenn Miller Orchestra
Southern Nights – Glen Campbell
Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations
Country Roads – John Denver
Bennie and the Jets Elton John
Beyond the Sea – Bobby Darin
Only You – The Platters
Islands in the Stream – Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder
Take It Easy – The Eagles

First Dance: La Vie En Rose – Louis Armstrong

Dinner Music

How Much I Feel – Ambrosia
What a Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers
Dani California – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police
She Like the Beatles – William Clark Green
Dust in the Wind – Kansas
Dance With Me – Orleans
A Life Where We Work Out [feat. Kaitlin Butts] – Flatland Cavalry
Memory Lane – Old Dominion
All I See Is You – Shane Smith & the Saints
Cold Beer Conversation – George Strait
Starting Over – Chris Stapleton
Traveller – Chris Stapleton
I’ll Be Over You – Toto

DJ + Saxophonist – Dinner Set

Say My Name – Destiny’s Child
Come and Talk to Me – Jodeci
Waterfalls – TLC
No Diggity [feat. Dr. Dre] – Blackstreet
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You – Lauryn Hill
Ms. Fat Booty – Mos Def
Nastradamus – Nas
Candy Rain [Heavy D & Trackmasterz Mix] – Soul 4 Real
Return of the Mack – Mark Morrison
Girl You Know It’s True – Milli Vanilli
(She’s Got) Skillz – All-4-One
Too Close – Next
Fantasy – Mariah Carey
This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
Dangerous [remix] – Busta Rhymes

Dance Music

Mother/Son Dance: Can She Have This Dance – Drew Baldridge

Great Balls of Fire [live] – Miles Teller
Old Time Rock & Roll – Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
Celebration – Kool & The Gang
September – Earth Wind & Fire
I Love It [feat. Charli XCX] – Icona Pop
Fireball [feat. John Ryan] – Pitbull
Super Bass – Nicki Minaj
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
Fernando – ABBA

Anniversary Dance: Just The Way You Are – Billy Joel

Dancing Queen – ABBA
Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
Higher Love [feat. Whitney Houston] – Kygo
Gettin’ Jiggy With It – Will Smith
Yeah [feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris] – Usher
Lovin’ On Me – Jack Harlow
Copperhead Road – Steve Earle
A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
Wobble Baby – V.I.C.
The Fightin’ Texas Aggie War Hymn – The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band

DJ + Saxophonist – Dance Set

Careless Whisper – Wham
Tequila – The Champs
In Da Club – 50 Cent
Despacito [feat. Daddy Yankee] – Luis Fonsi
La Gozedera feat. Marc Anthony] – Gente de Zona
Grease – Frankie Valli
I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do) – Hall & Oates
Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
Who Can It Be Now? – Men At Work
Be My Baby – The Ronettes
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
Your Love – Outfield
Beautiful As U – Thomas Rhett
Angel Baby – Rosie & The Originals
Heaven – Bryan Adams
Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Mambo No.5 (A Little Bit Of…) – Lou Bega
As It Was – Harry Styles
9 to 5 – Dolly Parton
Cupid Shuffle – Cupid
Thank God [feat. Katelyn Brown] – Kane Brown
Get Low [feat. Ying Yang Twins] – Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz
Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
Rock Your Body – Justin Timberlake
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
All the Small Things – Blink-182
Hot to Go! – Chappell Roan
Amarillo By Morning – George Strait
Love Story (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Soul Man – Sam & Dave
1, 2 Step – Ciara
Gonna Make You Sweat – C & C Music Factory
Poison – Bell Biv DeVoe
Jump On It – Sir Mix-A-Lot
Uptown Funk [feat. Bruno Mars] – Mark Ronson
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
You Make My Dreams – Hall & Oates
Lady May – Tyler Childers

As ever, I like to remind anyone who reads this that I’m both an Austin wedding DJ and a party DJ, too. I DJ corporate parties, birthdays, and all manner of special events. If you need a DJ for your next party, please contact me.

October 27, 2024
Formula 1 Tower Club, Day Three 10-20-24

When I was asked to DJ the Formula 1 Tower Club events this past weekend, I was already booked on the Saturday, which meant they only got me for two of their event’s three days. I don’t know who they had come in for day two, but I get the feeling he was something of a one-trick pony. When I walked in yesterday morning at 8am, one by one the entire staff told me they were glad I was back, and all shared a version of the same story: yesterday’s guy treated it like his own private rave. Apparently, he played nothing but EDM music the entire time, despite the audience being anything but an EDM crowd.

This hunch was backed up throughout the day, as time after time, guests came up to me and told me how glad they were to see me back behind the decks. The crowd is pretty much the same for all three days, as they pay some exorbitant sum for admission to the club for the entire weekend. In any event, I wasn’t there on Saturday to hear the other guy, but I’m pretty confident he didn’t have a very good read on the crowd. And while I hate to brag, I definitely did. By the very end I had a table of older gentlemen leaping around the room rapping along with the Beastie Boys. What can I say? I’m good at my job!

Here’s me being good at that job.

Everyday Is Like Sunday – Morrissey
Spirit In the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
Jeepster – T. Rex
Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin
Street Player – Chicago
Disco 2000 – Pulp
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
Lips Like Sugar – Echo & the Bunnymen
Blue Monday – New Order
Girls on Film – Duran Duran
Two of Hearts – Stacey Q
All My Ex’s Live In Texas – George Strait
Heaven Is in the Back Seat of My Cadillac – Hot Chocolate
Machine Gun – Commodores
Main Theme from Star Wars – David Matthews
Apache – Sugar Hill Gang
Hooked on a Feeling – Blue Swede
Don’t You Want Me – Human League
Good Luck, Babe – Chappell Roan
She’s Like Texas – Josh Abbott Band
I Like Texas – Pat Green
Amarillo By Morning – George Strait
Love Story (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
Stacy’s Mom – Fountains of Wayne
Move Your Feet – Junior Senior
Over & Over – Hot Chip
Seventeen – Ladytron
Silver Screen Shower Scene – Felix da Housecat
Kids – MGMT
Now That We’ve Found Love – Heavy D. & The Boyz
It’s Like That – Run-D.M.C.
Egypt, Egypt – Egyptian Lover
So What’cha Want – Beastie Boys
Boombastic – Shaggy
Nikita – Elton John
Red Red Wine – UB40
Tenderness – General Public
Fly Robin Fly – Silver Convention
Fire – The Ohio Players
Keep On Trucking – Eddie Kendricks
Tear the Roof Off the Sucker – Parliament
Boneman Connection – Nicodemus
Son of a Preacherman – Gaylettes
Jamaica Ska – Byron Lee and the Dragonaires
Phoenix City – Rolando Al and The Soul Brothers
Stir It Up – Bob Marley & The Wailers
Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
Doses and Mimosas – Cherub
Dance Wiv Me – Dizzee Rascal
Don’t Know Why – Norah Jones
Saturday in the Park – Chicago
Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) – Neil Diamond
Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks
She Blinded Me With Science – Thomas Dolby
American Soviets [Cameron Paul Mix] – CCCP
Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode
Temptation – New Order
Our Lips Are Sealed – Fun Boy Three
Bigmouth Strikes Again – The Smiths
Atomic – Sleeper
Suffragette City – David Bowie
Jumping Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones
You Really Got Me – The Kinks
Parklife – Blur
Staying Out for the Summer – Dodgy
Common People – Pulp
The 900 Number – D.J. Mark the 45 King
Tequila Little Time – Jon Pardi
Take a Chance on Me – ABBA
More Than a Woman – Bee Gees
Hot in Herre – Nelly
Brick House – Commodores
Walk This Way – Run-D.M.C.
Jump Around – House of Pain
Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
Wagon Wheel – Darius Rucker
Fancy Like – Walker Hayes
Mais Que Nada – Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66
Nanã – Bossacucanova & Roberto Menescal
Teardrops – Roosevelt
I Feel Love – Sam Smith
You Can Call Me Al [Flight Facilities Edit] – Paul Simon
Legs – ZZ Top
Feeling Alright – Rebelution
Santeria – Sublime
Billionaire [feat. Bruno Mars] – Travie McCoy
Paul Revere – Beastie Boys
In the Air Tonight – Phil Collins
Back in Black – AC/DC
Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
Africa – Toto

As ever, I like to remind anyone who reads this that I’m both an Austin wedding DJ and a party DJ, too. I DJ corporate parties, birthdays, and all manner of special events. If you need a DJ for your next party, please contact me.

October 21, 2024
Winnie and Max’s Wedding 10-19-24

I DJ’ed yesterday at the Allegro Wedding & Events Venue in Dripping Springs. It was my first time there, and I hope to be back soon. It’s an understated, modern yet rustic venue with a history to it, but a place that’s been kept up and modernized over time. It has everything needed for a wedding, including both an outdoor ceremony area and a chapel, several outdoor spaces for cocktails and a comfortable indoor space with air conditioning for a reception. It’s a space that can easily be transformed with lighting into nearly any aesthetic of vibe you are seeking.

The couple and their friends were a laid-back, fun-loving group, and it was a joy to play for them. Their timeline provided plenty of time to eat and enjoy one another’s company, while still leaving nearly 3 hours for dancing. Despite that extended time for tunes, it seemed that hardly anyone left early, and the dance floor stayed full up until the final song.

Here are the songs I played to create a soundtrack for their special day!

Cocktail Music

Slow Burn – Kacey Musgraves
All You’n – Tyler Childers
Wide Open Spaces – The Chicks
Lady May – Tyler Childers
Neon Moon [feat. Kacey Musgraves] – Brooks & Dunn
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Cowboy Take Me Away – The Chicks
By and By – Camp
Bluebird – Miranda Lambert
Cover Me Up – Morgan Wallen
One Man Band – Old Dominion
Wilder Days – Morgan Wade
Stone – Whiskey Myers
Free – Zac Brown Band
Tequila Sunrise – The Eagles
Butterfiles – Kacey Musgraves
Love You For a Long Time – Maggie Rogers
Cowgirl Blues – Midland
Karma – Taylor Swift
Upside Down – Jack Johnson
Cherry Blossom – Kacey Musgraves
Universal Sound – Tyler Childers

Dinner Music

Power of Love – Huey Lewis & The News
Only Wanna Be With You – Hootie & The Blowfish
Reach Out (And I’ll Be There) – The Four Tops
Sadie Hawkins Dance – Relient K

Bridal Party Introduction: I’m a Believer – Smash Mouth
Bride & Groom’s Introduction: Accidentally In Love – Counting Crows

This Magic Moment – The Drifters
Kiss Me – Sixpence None The Richer
I Think I’m in Love With You – Chris Stapleton
Lovely Day – Bill Withers
Dinner With Friends – Kacey Musgraves
Strawberry Woman – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Night Moves – Bob Seger
Get on the Good Foot – James Brown
Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett
Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
I Need You Tonight – INXS
Rock With You – Michael Jackson
Rhinestone Cowboy – Glen Campbell
I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do) – Hall & Oates
Save a Prayer – Duran Duran
Cold Heart [feat. Dua Lipa] [PNAU Remix] – Elton John
If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be) – Leon Bridges
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – The Beatles
The Dark of the Matinee – Franz Ferdinand
My Girl – The Temptations
Ooh Baby Baby – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Beyond – Leon Bridges
Only One – Yellowcard
In the Air Tonight – Phil Collins
The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens
You Are the Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder
Somebody to Love – Queen
Hook – Blues Traveler
Shape of You – Ed Sheeran
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg – The Temptations
Chapel of Love – The Dixie Cups

Cake Cutting: The Architect – Kacey Musgraves

Dance Music

First Dance: I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song – Jim Croce
Father/Daughter Dance: House at Pooh Corner – Loggins & Messina
Mother/Son Dance: Forever and Ever, Amen – Randy Travis

It Takes Two – Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock
Let’s Dance – David Bowie
Gonna Make You Sweat – C & C Music Factory
Respect – Aretha Franklin
Uptown Funk [feat. Bruno Mars] – Mark Ronson
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Apache – Sugar Hill Gang
Ace In the Hole – George Strait
Let’s Groove – Earth Wind & Fire
I Love It [feat. Charli XCX] – Icona Pop
Mamma Mia – ABBA
Believe – Cher
Feel This Moment [feat. Christina Aguilera] – Pitbull
Hot to Go! – Chappell Roan
All the Small Things – Blink-182
Toxic – Britney Spears

Bouquet Toss: Girls Just Wanna’ Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper

The Keeper of the Stars – Tracy Byrd
Dancing Queen – ABBA
Neon Moon – Brooks & Dunn
Tequila Little Time – Jon Pardi
Paper Rings – Taylor Swift
Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runner
Crank That (Soulja Boy) – Soulja Boy
Laffy Taffy – D4L
Mo Bamba – Sheck Wes
Gold Digger [feat. Jamie Foxx] – Kanye West
Get Low [feat. Ying Yang Twins] – Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz
Levitating [no rap] – Dua Lipa
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) – Katy Perry
Disturbia – Rihanna
A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) – Fergie
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Elton John and Kiki Dee
I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas
Hotel Room Service – Pitbull
Super Bass – Nicki Minaj
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
Give Me Everything [feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, Nayer] – Pitbull
Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
Blame It on the Rain – Milli Vanilli
Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
Yeah [feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris] – Usher
Hot In Herre – Nelly
Stacy’s Mom – Fountains of Wayne
Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
White Wedding – Billy Idol
Dancing in the Dark – Bruce Springsteen
We Got the Beat – The Go-Go’s
Mickey – Toni Basil
Just Like Heaven – The Cure
Cowboy Take Me Away – Dixie Chicks
You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC

Private Last Dance: In Your Love – Tyler Childers

As I always do, please let me remind anyone who reads this that I’m both an Austin wedding DJ and a party DJ, too. I DJ corporate parties, birthdays, and all manner of special events. If you need a DJ for your next party, please contact me.

October 20, 2024
Formula 1 Tower Club, Day One 10-18-24

You might think an 8-hour-long gig that starts at 8:30 am might be a drag, especially when you hear I was out of bed at 5:30 am in order to be there and set up on time, but you’d be wrong. Yesterday’s event practically flew by, both figuratively and literally (it was an auto race!), and I had a lot of fun.

I DJ’ed in one of the private clubs at the Formula 1 race. Yesterday was the first of three days of events happening at the Circuit of the Americas, as drivers, and fans, from around the world converged on Austin for a weekend of racing. The nature of the event gave me almost unlimited freedom regarding what to play, as there were guests of all ages, and from all backgrounds and walks of life, and this wasn’t a dance. I was there to provide a great soundtrack for a day of fun, and if the number of high fives, fist bumps, compliments, and business cards taken is any indication, I was successful.

While my DJ set ran from 8:30 to 4:30, I had some downtime, as I switched from music to live feed of the race announcers when there were races happening on the track. Not that it would have made a difference. Those cars are LOUD, and the Tower Club is positioned directly over the track, so no one would have heard my music anyway. On the plus side, from my DJ booth I had one of the best seats in the house to watch the races! Coupled with complimentary breakfast and lunch buffets and an on-site barista making coffee and espresso, I was set!

All told I probably played for 6 hours. Check out the variety of what I was able to play for my appreciative audience yesterday!

Update: here is a recap, and set list, for day three of the event.

Please Please Please – Sabrina Carpenter
Outstanding – The Gap Band
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See – Busta Rhymes
Float On – Modest Mouse
I Turn My Camera On – Spoon
Connected – Stereo MC’s
Midnight City – M83
Fix Up Look Sharp – Dizzee Rascal
I Ain’t No Joke – Eric B. & Rakim
Rollin’ With Kid ‘N Play – Kid ‘N Play
The Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
Tequila Little Time – Jon Pardi
Lovin’ On Me – Jack Harlow
More Than a Woman – Bee Gees
Country Girl (Shake It for Me) – Luke Bryan
Walk This Way – Run-D.M.C.
Telegraph Your Love – The Pointer Sisters
D.M.S.R. – Prince
Let’s Dance – David Bowie
Kiss Me More [feat. SZA] – Doja Cat
ILY (I Love You Baby) [feat. Emilee] – Surf Mesa
Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash
Balinese – ZZ Top
More Than a Feeling – Boston
Can I Kick It? – A Tribe Called Quest
MIA [feat. Drake] – Bad Bunny
Zion I – Cymande
God Make Me Funky – Headhunters
Funky Drummer – James Brown
Sabotage – Beastie Boys
Savage – Megan Thee Stallion
Just a Friend – Biz Markie
Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
Fancy Like – Walker Hayes
Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio
Wagon Wheel – Darius Rucker
As It Was – Harry Styles
Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol
Take On Me – a-ha
Blitzkrieg Bop – The Ramones
Get UR Freak On – Missy Elliott
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
What I Like About You – The Romantics
Sugar, We’re Going Down – Fall Out Boy
Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
Paint it Black – The Rolling Stones
I Melt With You – Modern English
Dreaming – Blondie
I Eat Cannibals – Toto Coelo
Transmission – Joy Division
One Step Beyond – Madness
Cigarettes and Alcohol – Oasis
Laid – James
New Generation – Suede
Girls & Boys – Blur
Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac
How Will I Know – Whitney Houston
Calling All Boys – The Flirts
Secret – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Obsession – Animotion
Do It To The Crowd – Twin Hype
White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It) – Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel
Apache – Sugar Hill Gang
Ace In the Hole – George Strait
Two Pina Coladas – Garth Brooks
Lookin’ for Love – Johnny Lee
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg – The Temptations
It’s the Same Old Song – The Four Tops
The Magic Number – De La Soul
Supercuts (Yeah Boy) – Rodney O Joe Cooley
1999 – Prince
Love Story (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) – ABBA
Electric Love – BØRNS
Louie, Louie – The Kingsmen
Playa Grande [feat. Bomba Estéreo] – Sofi Tukker
Circles – Post Malone
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) – Robert Palmer
I Am the Best – 2NE1
Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode
You Spin Me ‘Round (Like a Record) – Dead Or Alive
Don’t Go – Yaz
Pursuit of Happiness [Steve Aoki Remix] – Kid Cudi
I Was Made For Lovin’ You – Kiss
Low [feat. T-Pain] – Flo Rida
I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas
More, More, More – Andrea True Connection
(Are You Ready) Do the Bus Stop – The Fatback Band
Like Sugar – Chaka Khan
Careless Whisper [The Polish Ambassador Remix] – George Michael
Golden Years [The Reflex Stems Re Vision] – David Bowie
Another One Bites The Dust [La Royale Edit] – Queen
When U Wanna Come [LNTG Says Relax] – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Hooked on a Feeling – Blue Swede
Long Train Runnin’ – The Doobie Brothers
Motownphilly – Boyz II Men
Poison – Bell Biv DeVoe
1, 2, 3, 4 – Coolio
The Creator – Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Treat ‘Em Right – Chubb Rock
Uptown Funk [feat. Bruno Mars] – Mark Ronson
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Miami Vice Theme – Jan Hammer
Bad – Michael Jackson
Amarillo By Morning – George Strait
It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere [feat. Jimmy Buffett] – Alan Jackson
Whiskey River – Willie Nelson
You Never Can Tell – Chuck Berry
The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss) – Betty Everett
I Want to Hold Your Hand – The Beatles
Stop! In the Name of Love – Diana Ross & The Supremes
I Want You Back – The Jackson Five
Cinderfella Dana Dane – Dana Dane
Bring the Beat Back – Steady B
No Sleep Till Brooklyn – Beastie Boys
Nobody Beats the Biz [feat. T.J. Swan] – Biz Markie
Droppin’ Science [feat. Craig G] – Marley Marl
Ms. New Booty [feat. Ying Yang Twinz] – Bubba Sparxxx
ATLiens – Outkast
Mo City Don – Z-ro
In the Air Tonight – Phil Collins
Africa – Toto
Tarzan Boy – Baltimora
Hey Ladies – Beastie Boys
The Message – Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Ain’t No Half-Steppin’ – Big Daddy Kane
The Show (Oh My God!– The Re-Mix) – Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew
This Beat Kicks – T La Rock
Run’s House – Run-D.M.C.
Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Neon Moon – Brooks & Dunn
Fantasy – Mariah Carey
Best Friend [feat. NERVO, The Knocks & ALISA UENO] – Sofi Tukker
Levitating – Dua Lipa
Electric Feel – MGMT
Burning Down the House – Talking Heads
Tubthumping – Chumba Wumba
Jack and Diane – John Cougar Mellencamp
Paper Rings – Taylor Swift
Grease – Frankie Valli
Take a Chance on Me – ABBA
Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon
O-o-h Child – The Five Stairsteps
Chicken Fried – Zac Brown Band
Drinkin’ Problem – Midland

As ever, I like to remind anyone who reads this that I’m both an Austin wedding DJ and a party DJ, too. I DJ corporate parties, birthdays, and all manner of special events. If you need a DJ for your next party, please contact me.

October 19, 2024