Tag: Austin DJ with Sax Player

  • Karsen & Cole’s Wedding 5-17-25

    Karsen & Cole’s Wedding 5-17-25

    Karsen and Cole's Wedding

    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.

  • Katie & Daniel’s Wedding 10-26-24

    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.