Old School Favorites

As a mobile DJ, it's interesting to follow music trends. I mentioned on in an earlier post...the 80's revival. On a related note, "old school" hip-hop seems to be making a comeback as well.

APACHE-SUGAR HILL GANG: Honestly, I don't think I had ever heard this song until a couple of years ago when it was requested at a wedding reception. I downloaded it and played it, and the place went nuts. Released in 1981, Apache was what we thought of as rap before Tupac and other harder-core rap artists appeared on the scene. Lately, this has become a staple of my shows, and it seems like everyone knows the dance. I like it because its one of the few dances I can do without hurting myself.

BUST A MOVE-YOUNG MC: This one I remember well. Actually, it reminds me of my days spinning records at "Maxies", a night club in Iowa City. We had a duo that did a karaoke show at the club and there was this guy who came every time and sang Bust A Move. It seems so innocent today....

ICE ICE BABY-VANILLA ICE: OK, it's hard to even dignify this with the term "old school hip-hop". But it IS a popular tune again for whatever reason. It just makes people smile when they hear the unmistakably derivative beat (Under Pressure with a stutter). And when Ice says "Word to your mother" at the very end of the song, you can't help but chuckle.

First Impressions...Pocahontas County Expo Center

It's hard to believe that I have been providing mobile DJ services in this area for 17 years and this is the first time I've ever played in Pocahontas!

Tonight I am at the Pocahontas County Expo Center, on the fairgrounds. It is a very nice facility with plenty of room for lots of guests. My setup is in the southeast corner of the building opposide the bar, and even with seating for about 300 guests there is still plenty of room. The bride and groom have done a nice job decorating. First impressions: nice place...I hope to be invited back.

Down With The 80's

I think it's amazing how cyclical musical tastes are.

Just a few years ago, 70's music was very popular at wedding dances. Now, the clear favorite among brides, grooms, and their friends (aside from current club music) is 80's music.

I think the reason is that the parents of this generation of newlyweds are, like myself, children of the 1980's. So during their childhoods, the twenty-somethings were treated to long car rides with mix tapes of Journey, Styx, Bon Jovi, and other acts in the stereo of the minivan. So it's a trip down memory lane, although in the case of the young people, their lane is about 20-30 years shorter than us!

The downside is that in another ten years or so, if I am still doing this, I will have to play a lot of 90's music. Hopefully the music that will be on their minds will be more Pearl Jam and Nirvana and less Ace of Base.

Slowing Down With Age

OK, this is not a post about aging itself. It's more about how I approach my job as a mobile DJ. Allow me to explain.

One of the things I have learned over the years is that if I take my time in preparing for an event, it will reduce my stress and increase my enjoyment of the process. When I was younger, I wanted to arrive at the reception venue with just enough time to get everything set up before it was time to roll. As time went by, though, it just seemed like the "free time" I was saving just wasn't worth it. So I've learned to take my time.

My event at Gull Point State Park on July 24, 2009 was a perfect example. I was providing a sound system for the outdoor ceremony as well as for the dance inside. So I arrived at the park at about 2pm...a full three hours before the ceremony started! That gave me plenty of time to deliberately set up all my gear and test it well before it was time to "perform". I gave up an extra 90 minutes or so of personal time, but in exchange I had a much more relaxing setup.

If the event is close enough and my schedule allows, I generally like to set up for an event earlier in the day, then return in time for the event to start. If that isn't possible, I take a change of clothes with me, especially to summer events. That way if I get hot while moving and setting up gear, I don't have to worry about getting my dress clothes sweaty.

I think by relaxing how I do the job has really changed my perspective on the job.

Where has the summer gone?

I look up at the calendar and BAM its almost August! It seems like only yesterday that my all-time busiest wedding season just got underway. Now just a few weeks to the unofficial end of wedding season-the Clay County Fair.

Sweet Caroline

One of the all time great sing-a-longs has to be "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. In this clip, the crowd at a summer 2009 wedding at Arrowwood Resort's Wimbledon room raised their voices!

Keeping A Committment

I've been performing as a mobile DJ for almost 20 years, and during that time, I've never backed out on a client. Unfortunately I've heard some real horror stories lately about DJ services cancelling with little notice, putting the event planners in a real bind.

I received a call this spring from the mother of a bride whose DJ had just called them to say that the hours had changed for his "real" job and he could no longer perform at the wedding reception. The call came in on a Thursday...the wedding was two days later! I felt awful for the mom and the couple, but unfortunately I was already committed to a client for that Saturday. I gave her several names and wished her the best of luck. I never did hear if they ended up finding someone or had to resort to a boombox for the reception.

Unfortunately, this was NOT an isolated incident. A few weeks later I received another call about a DJ who had pulled out with little warning (a couple of weeks in this case). He told the bride that due to economic circumstances, he could no longer afford to operate multiple systems. Again, I was obligated and could not help the bride. And in June I received yet another call. This time the DJ service from Ankeny didn't even bother to call! They simply sent a letter saying they were cancelling without really explaining why. The bride made several attempts to contact the DJ via email and phone but never received a reply.

This recent trend concerns me because of the lack of professionalism displayed by the services in question. Although they don't reflect directly upon me, they do reflect poorly on mobile DJ services in general, and that hurts everyone who plies the trade.

Again, I would never treat a client this way. The only time I have ever withdrawn from an event was when one of my sons graduated from college, and the commencement service was moved to a Saturday instead of a Sunday. And then I only did so after finding a reliable and quality replacement DJ, AND only after receiving permission of the couple. If they had insisted on my services, I would have gladly been there.

When you are looking for a DJ, ask them if they've ever backed out on a client and why. The answer will help you decide if they treat the role of mobile DJ as seriously as YOU treat it.