EP. 24 Love, Music, and a Packed Dance Floor!

Join us on a lively journey through nearly four decades of entertainment history with our guest, Chris Koval of Future Sounds. With a rich career that began in the 1970s as an announcer at baseball fields and evolved through radio and television, Chris has seen and done it all. He shares his fascinating transition from performing arts to becoming a pioneering DJ in the wedding and events industry, founding Future Sounds in 1998. You’ll hear about his early days in radio, the unexpected career shifts, and his passion for creating memorable experiences for live audiences.

Chris's story is one not just of personal success but also of reinvention, emphasizing the importance of networking and community involvement. His experiences with organizations like ILEA, AHAA, and NACE were instrumental in revitalizing his career at a critical juncture. Listen in as Chris recounts his humorous anecdotes from his time performing with San Antonio Parks and Recreation and reflects on the joys and challenges of working in radio, including encounters with fascinating personalities along the way. His insights into the industry provide a delightful blend of humor and wisdom, highlighting both the challenges and unique rewards of engaging audiences.

Get a sneak peek into the evolving world of wedding entertainment as Chris discusses how these celebrations have become more diverse and culturally rich over the years. From the complexities of selecting music that resonates with global audiences to the impact of technology on music access, Chris offers his take on what it takes to cater to today’s eclectic wedding gatherings. As we wrap up the episode, we express our gratitude to our dedicated listeners and extend an open invitation to Chris to return for more insightful discussions. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave us a review, and catch our next episode as we continue exploring the vibrant world of wedding and event planning.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:01

Welcome to the Tipsy Guest Podcast. I am your host, Marco Buenrostro, and every week I'm here with the top industry experts, amazing clients and all my vendor BFFs to bring you the best tips, advice and juicy behind-the-scenes stories to make wedding and event planning a breeze. So grab your favorite drink and let's get this party started. Hey guys, welcome back to the Tipsy Guest. I am Marco, your host, and today, oh my gosh, I am so honored to have the most experienced DJ. I know I mean, we'll talk about it for how long in a little bit, but, oh my gosh, Chris Cobalt from Future Sounds. Hello, hello.

Speaker 2 0:47

Great to be with you this afternoon.

Speaker 1 0:49

How are?

Speaker 2 0:49

you, sir. Yeah, I'm feeling well. You're getting ready for a big. I think 2025 is really going to be an exciting year for our industry, so I'm looking forward to what it brings us. It was a great 2024. And I think we're, according to industry experts. They say, of course, before COVID, they thought 2020 was going to be an amazing year. So I think, now that we're into this new year, I think all the experts say this year is going to be what 2020 should have been, so it should be exciting for all of us. I think we'll see a nice uphill climb for us and it'll be rewarding at the end of the year.

Speaker 1 1:25

Yeah, I mean it is so crazy, at least for our listeners out there. Time of recording. Right now it is January, mid-january 2025, and I mean the holidays were insane. I keep saying it, but I mean there were so many events I was going crazy.

Speaker 2 1:43

Yes, I can't remember. Just someone asked me uh, just yesterday, go what, what do you? What'd you do? Uh, what was your weekend like? I'm like? Well, let's see, I had a event yesterday that was tuesday, event on monday. Uh, I said I don't really remember the weekend and nor can I really remember december or the last quarter last year, because it was just, I mean, it's a it's a blessing for sure.

Speaker 1 2:05

But, oh my goodness. So I think from november 30th all the way to december 20th, we had straight events, for for 20 days straight, it, I mean, it didn't matter if it was a monday or tuesday, whatever day of the week. We were doing holiday parties. We had a lot of weddings in December. It was such a good month and I was like you know what, I'm looking forward to January and take a little break. No, it has been really busy, thankfully. So, yeah, I mean, but I'm very excited to have you here today. You, I mean, I've known you for what I think maybe nine years now. I think. I mean I've been in the business for about 10 years, so I think I've known you for about nine. Yes, I would say so. That's about right, and every single time I have a conversation with you, I just feel like I am talking to an entire generation of just amazingness.

Speaker 2 2:58

I don't know how to take that Generation. That makes me feel really old. Thank you, Mark.

Speaker 1 3:02

Well, not that I'm giving your age away, but 40 years behind the microphone and nearly 30 years of entertainment as Future Sounds. Yes, talk to me about that.

Speaker 2 3:13

Well, I started my career and the 40 years wraps up the entirety of when I started working behind the microphone. So as a young teenager I was working at baseball fields announcing to players as they come up to bat. So that slowly transitioned into me working at skating rinks and radio and television. Doing all those things back in the early 80s and 90s is when, essentially, I began all that. So I was just laughing this morning as I was preparing for this I was like well, maybe I should send you some of my earlier radio air checks which if you listen to that you kind of hear my voice. It's not necessarily what it sounds like right now, but not so good. You're like that's terrible.

Speaker 2 4:01

And compared to my later years, I worked in radio for about 10 years. So I started that in in the late 80s, uh, and then worked through about the mid 90s or so, uh, with radio. Kg 97 here in san antonio is one of my latest state uh, the last stations I worked with uh, but during that time in 93 is when I started working in the mobile industry, uh, cutting edge entertainment, ron peen actually. He and I used to be co-DJs there with one of the original owners, wow. So all that stuff they were looking for mobile DJs and at the time, when I was in the radio, I'm like, well, that's not really what I was thinking about doing, but okay, I'll help out. And, needless to say, years later, 1998's, when I began, future Sounds sounds, and did I ever think I'd be here, 25, almost 30 years later?

Speaker 1 4:45

No.

Speaker 2 4:45

I didn't think that and nor did I think in 93, I'd start a business and be doing this mobile stuff for weddings and parties, although I loved what I did as a radio personality and doing what I do now, it gives me that interaction Just like here today. It's like if you say something that's funny, you may get a laugh, but it's that complete interaction that you have. And when you're in a room filled with people and you see the fun that you have, it's, it's, it's, it's very um, it's mesmerizing in a way, because you're like wow, look at that. It's like I used to tell people years ago it's, it's kind of a neat feeling when you say jump and they do. That's just the neatest feeling. And if, especially if you have 10 people or 10 000 people, yeah it's.

Speaker 2 5:28

It's quite uh, it's quite a humbling experience to go through that and realize the power you have as much as you can earn, that at some event you could quickly lose it, and when I worked in some of the clubs it was that it's like I could quickly mess this up. Everybody's having a great time, but. But, if I say the wrong thing or play the wrong thing or do the wrong thing, it takes a little time to get that back. So, yeah, so, nearly 40 years behind the microphone and with the entertainment I mean I was actually I'll tell you about. I tell you this Back in 1975, I used to do my sisters were in dance and so I reluctantly went to their performances and they're like, oh, we need some young men to be in with the ladies dancing, need, um. But I, I learned, uh, I joined that san Antonio Parks and Recreation so I did tap, jazz, ballet, gymnastics, clogging, uh, all those things so I can do. Is there any?

Speaker 1 6:30

footage of this anywhere uh, luckily no see.

Speaker 2 6:34

Back then they didn't have cameras oh my goodness and and when they used the term youtube, it was more like you boob is is the way. I think no just kidding.

Speaker 2 6:46

No, there might be some actually, I think posted on my website or maybe in Facebook. There's some early photos of me holding a little plastic guitar. I used to do pantomimes. Matter of fact, kkyx still around right now, but they used to do shows kind of like your Side of Town Entertainment, when they bring in people from different sections of town for the city of San Antonio to show. Hey, here's our. Just like Star Search or American Idol. Well, san Antonio does that, but back then some of the radio stations would request their guests hey come out, we're having this thing.

Speaker 1 7:17

I like that.

Speaker 2 7:18

So at one of the early Poteet Strawberry Festivals back in 1975, 76, I dressed up and did this pantomime to a song by Charlie Rich, the Most Beautiful Girl, and it was on a 45 record and I sped it up to 78, so it was really fast. So I sang like a chipmunk pantomime to this thing. So I need to say so I've been entertaining for quite a long time, class clown in my grade school and high school.

Speaker 1 7:40

I can see that.

Speaker 2 7:45

I can definitely see that. So all that and more has kind of led to where I am today and you know so very respondent to people around me and I love working off the energy of a room, so, whether it's with people or without people radio. A lot of times I was in a small room like this and so you didn't see outside, I didn't know if it was cloudy or sunshine or rain or snow. You just kind of get a report and you're looking at computers and monitors and you're kind of going off a feel for what you're seeing and reading.

Speaker 1 8:11

Yeah.

Speaker 2 8:11

Hey look, it's sunshine and 86 outside right now, but it's always interesting to go across things. So there's kind of a nutshell of the last many years of my life and how it kind of began. And Future Sounds was just one of of the things. I was working with another company, a good friend of mine. His company was called um um, um, ultimate entertainment, and we parted ways and a lot of friends in the industry back in the 90s said you know, you should start your own business and I was like, well, okay, I said I guess I can do that. And so I did.

Speaker 2 8:44

It's always a scary thing to start a business, so I did. And then I ended up meeting people and I had at one point in the mid-2000s I had eight people working for me and we were doing really well. So it was a neat thing and all that was good. But they got real jobs and moved on. But, needless to say, it was a great experience of expanding and taking all on, but also scary. And after some of those guys moved on I thought about expanding again. But I said you know I should stay where I'm at, and at the time I was also working at UTSA. You know I should stay where I'm at, and at the time I was also working at UTSA. I worked there for about 15 years as a communications coordinator for the Office of Information Technology, so that's where I kind of get the academic side of me working with teachers and teaching them how to use technology but then moved from there or left there in 2013. Actually, they fired me, marco. Someone hated me.

Speaker 1 9:36

Oh, no, needless to say, I lost my job at utsa and and julie.

Speaker 2 9:40

Julie and I met in 2013 and, uh, she is. We were just getting ready to buy a house and I said stop everything. And she's like what I said um, I just lost my job today oh no what I said, yes, so let's uh take a step back here. And after a few months she had just moved in with me and we were looking to buy a house, and then she says well, maybe you just focus on your business, because that's going well of ILEA since 2006,.

Speaker 2 10:08

But in 2013 is when I made the commitment to say you know, they say that if you give to the organization, eventually you get back from that. So I put that to the test, joined ILEA, joined AHA, joined NACE and actually became more of an active member versus just a passive member. I was like oh, occasionally I'll go and say hello and it's been very rewarding. I can't say it hasn't because I've expanded that reach of connection, not just people in the industry, but beyond that. So there you go. That was a lot of information.

Speaker 1 10:46

I am amazed with all this information. I can kind of relate with you on the whole radio station. I used to work at a radio station, well, years and years and years ago. And yeah, like you said, it's a small room like this and then you're just pretty much I mean talking to the world, but you're in a little room and this was, I think. I worked at a radio station, I think it was 2007, 2004, back in the Valley, and then 2007 here in San Antonio, 104.1, which now is a Norteño station.

Speaker 1 11:19

Back in the day, when I was working there, it was a spanish pop station, okay, and I mean I absolutely loved, loved doing radio. It was so fun. It was, I mean, all the people we met, all the I mean the concerts, just you know, answering the phone calls and talking to people. I mean I wish radio would go back to what it used to be. I don't think a lot of people listen to the radio nowadays, but I miss those days. It was such a fun experience. I mean I remember back in high school, back in middle school, I would go to sleep listening to the radio and you would have your favorite shows on the radio. It was just so much fun.

Speaker 2 12:03

I miss those days. It's at one of the radio stations I worked at, kono here in town, and it was. They were a free format. So we, we had and and and this, this you might know. Uh, you know, you, you get. You don't not all radio stations, I just play whatever. I mean, it could be country radio station, uh, old east radio station, pop pop radio station, chr, but it's like you have a list of music you're playing. This is the order you're playing it in and you just pull them and play them. Now it's easier with computers, you're just probably even more automated. But Kono allowed us to say, well, here's kind of the suggestions to play, kind of stick to this, but yeah, yeah, you can play anything. So they made it really easy to interact with the audience yeah and uh, it was, and I have some crazy things.

Speaker 2 12:42

That was the probably most um engaging radio station I worked with because it allows to be really enjoy that free format and have fun with the guests. So if they would, we'd do live calls and all these things, even though most of them were still recorded as we were engaging. When one of my mentors in radio, dave Rios, he was like Chris, he goes, you make it sound so good. It's so fun because I would just love talking to people and I would transition that after taking a few minutes to edit whatever we did and back then, unlike now where you have the digitally kind of highlight and you can delete.

Speaker 1 13:13

Yeah.

Speaker 2 13:22

We had the old reel-to-reel machine oh my gosh, cutting with the razor and it's like, oh hey, play another song, I need another three minutes to get this done. Um, but uh, I had a lot of great mentors back then and people that I loved listening to, and that's what, um, what helped me really kind of uh, fine-tune the personality that I had, uh, as a, as a person, as a as a radio person, and and I guess the, the inflection was always important too, the way that you speak and things that you should say or not say, which is always an interesting thing in radio when you're like, well, there could be one person listening or there could be 100,000. It doesn't really matter. But if I don't say things correctly, if I can't really share information, well then it's a loss for all of us and it's not going to be very funny.

Speaker 1 14:00

Yeah, I mean yeah, and I feel like right now that I guess it brings me to my next question, with which is you know you like the interaction with people. You love, of course, entertaining. How have I mean you've been doing weddings for such a long time? How have I mean you've been doing weddings for such a long time? What do you think, I guess, of the transition throughout the years?

Speaker 2 14:31

You know how have the weddings changed? In a way, you know, when it comes to you as the entertainment of the weddings, I think the thing that's changed the most is that years ago. So when I started doing the weddings back in the 90s and I would go to Floresville or, you know, could be here in San Antonio but everybody that came to that event knew each other. It was your parents, grandparents, it was your neighbors. Everybody had something in common more than just a bride and groom, and so the commonality that was in that event was very homey in a way. You felt very comfortable, and the music styles that were played everybody knew, Whereas today the commonality might just be the bride and groom, and you know the bride or you know the groom. You may know them both, you may know them through work or through school, but otherwise that level of extension of saying, oh, I've known johnny since he was 12 or since he was five, that's that's not. That's not as uh as a common of an occurrence that you uh see these days. So that's, that's the big thing. So when you go to a wedding, the music styles that you may play, it's like you have, just like you were saying, it's like.

Speaker 2 15:42

I've been to weddings where my bride was from Puerto Rico and my groom was from Mexico City and friends and family were from around the globe. I did a wedding probably early 2000s. The dad was a diamond trader and there were 32 countries represented. There were 13 languages spoken during the toast. Wow, Heads of state. I mean it was an insane type of thing to be a part of and I was like I'm the smallest person here around all these people and it's like you know, I was probably nothing back then when they were paying for things because they spent uh, it was, it was at the St Anthony and they brought in their own tables. The only thing they used was the flatware. Everything else was brought in. But but I think the fascinating thing about that was the number of countries and people and dialects and all these things that were represented, and the commonality was the parents and the family and the couple.

Speaker 2 16:40

But that's changed even more because it's more diverse, and that's both good and bad, because it makes it more difficult. If you say, hey, I'm going to be playing this type of music, Well, someone may like it or they may not. Maybe you have a handful of people that may like it. So are you going to get a full dance floor? Well, maybe it depends on that crowd and how much you know they are really into that or not. Just like yesterday, I was playing a lot of Bollywood. You know they were saying, hey, play this, and I'm like, okay, so we were just playing George Strait and then I went right into Bollywood music.

Speaker 2 17:13

Yeah, and so it's like fine, you know, but that's the way some of these weddings are is that you're trying to please everyone, and it's difficult to do that. It's always nice to kind of have a heads up if you have people. Even I always joke about when you look at people that are from Corpus or they're south of Corpus, they're in far or further into the valley. You know, Selena works for some, but if you're further south of Corpus it's like no, Cumbia is, yeah, Selena's good, but we want other stuff. Yeah. So it's knowing that and being aware that where people are coming from, that slight difference, going across the border from Laredo to Monterey or wherever, that's different music. It's not the same. Yeah, it's a completely different story. Yeah, and if you're not prepared for that, or aware of that, or not knowing that there's that difference, just play us some Latin music. Okay, hold on, that's a wide range.

Speaker 1 18:05

That's a big genre of music.

Speaker 2 18:08

If you're from Puerto Rico or Cuba or Mexico or South America or you're from Brazil, it all changes. And I think, just as much as you can appreciate, that American music now, or world music, is no different. There's so many different variations and now, with the access to that, that makes a big difference. So people, they just expect you to have it all and it's like, well, you're just pulling that up on your phone and that's great. But you know, yeah, I guess I can play it off my phone and I can stream that.

Speaker 2 18:41

All the music I have. I have here. I don't have to worry about being connected to the world to get that. So I think that's. Another big difference is not only are the people more diverse and eclectic in what they listen to, but also the access to music. Where years ago radio, we shaped what people listen to. This is what we want. This is released by mca or rca or sony or whomever those that company released it because they sponsored that artist.

Speaker 2 19:05

But now people say I can go on youtube or I can go search anywhere stream stuff on any music streaming service and I can find the music that I really like, which is great for artists and great for the consumption of that. But then going to our events now, it's like, oh, where am I at on this spectrum of playing music? And so it's always. It's neat to learn this. I mean, we're all into learning new stuff, but it's difficult to know it all and have it all.

Speaker 1 19:31

Yeah, I know for sure. And so, for example, I know I mean you guys asked the DJ for the weddings or events. I mean you guys are playing for a long time. You know like it could be what three, four or five hours, depending on the timeline of the wedding, is nothing. Of course, no shade against the bands, but I mean the bands take breaks, you know they. They might do a set I don't, I don't know really how many songs they do, but then they take a break and then they come back and then they take another break and then another break. So I mean I feel like couples out there are spending a lot of money to hire a band. You know, in comparison to how much a DJ charges. I mean I'm sure there's different tiers of, let's say, your packages, for example, but I guess educate me on this I'm assuming a DJ is still less than a band, right?

Speaker 2 20:30

Yeah, I think it depends on the performance value. You have those that are on the higher end of the industry. They put on a performance and I think, whether it's you know, we all start somewhere. But then you have those of us who have worked hard to to not only have the best gear, all those things play a factor light shows, and then the presentation that we present to, to our clients, to our, to our guests, to the guests that are there, and so I think that elevation of performance and that was one thing many years ago someone asked me. I said well, technically, we're all doing a live performance. Yeah, I may be pushing a button or adjusting some type of thing on a mixer, but we are all I'm plucking strings, pulling this, pushing that, we're all doing those types of things. So most DJs I mean, if you look at the traditional style, you're playing about 17 songs an hour. When you start saying, okay, now we're beat mixing those or remixing those. Okay, we're playing instead of three minutes or four minutes or five minutes of a traditional song, now we're playing maybe a minute and a half or two minutes of that, so you can get more songs in per hour, but it's nonstop and that's the ultimate goal is it's a nonstop mix of music.

Speaker 2 21:39

There are some bands out there that are using some new technologies that allow them to do that, but generally more traditional when they play their sets of music, where they may play a particular song and sing that song out and maybe add their own flair to that song and may extend it. If flair to that song and may extend it if it's a very popular, very familiar song for the type of music they play, and especially if that's what the guests are into, then it works. But then you look at them, maybe they're playing, instead of that, 17th song an hour. They may be less than that because they don't necessarily make a nonstop rhythm that takes them through that whole period. So you may be looking at maybe maybe 10 to 12 songs an hour because if they stop in between every song yeah, again that now I there are some bands that play more traditional. They play their song, pause, play the next song. There are a few that may play maybe a set of songs that may be all, uh, essentially mixed in together as they play it, and and others that may be doing longer sets. So there are the variation out there between the larger bands that are more into trying to keep that energy.

Speaker 2 22:43

But I think that's one of the big things between bands and DJs is most DJs are going to try and keep that energy going and weddings are difficult because you have the formalities that occur. So I think as long as they even bands, they try and work around those formalities. It's like we're going to do our set, then you break. But I think years ago when people would ask me the difference between bands and DJs, I was like well, the difference is really 20 to 40 songs in the grand four-hour event, you know, five-hour event. Once you start adding those hours, that number changes a bit. But still you say, okay, dj, I'm going to play nonstop. You hire me for four hours or five hours. It's nonstop, you know.

Speaker 2 23:23

I think I heard in one of the other things, like, do you go to the bathroom? Well, just like in radio, if I had to go to the bathroom, music can't stop, although on a rare. Like okay, I'm going to do that. But with a band, if someone leaves the stage, especially a critical musician, okay, well, we'll do that during the break. So you need that. So that's one of the big differences between a band and DJs, the amount of music that could be essentially played in an hour or in an extended amount of time. Also, the footprint that we take. I mean there's some DJs. I know that we have big setups once we start bringing in trusting and lighting and larger sound systems, but that's the other thing. Footprint is a big difference between most DJs in a band.

Speaker 2 24:08

I mean we can fit into a small corner but yet we could take up a large stage if the need is there, yeah, I mean, that's a big difference.

Speaker 1 24:14

I honestly so, I guess. To our listeners out there, I think uh, you know, biggest takeaway right now is you hire a band for four hours, you hire a dj for four hours.

Speaker 2 24:25

The dj is gonna play more and there's nothing better than a live performance. I mean seeing someone that knows their trade, that that can sing well or play an instrument well. My parents are musicians. I was not gifted with that. I can fake it really well, maybe.

Speaker 2 24:40

I can just fake it, maybe not really well, but again, I think we're all talented in certain ways and I love seeing live music. But again, when you're looking at those formalities, the big differences between there it's like if that's what I want, between there it's like if that's what I want. And I guess the other critical thing, or crucial thing, that is the big difference is if you hire a band that plays country music or Spanish music, or maybe they're a variety band but yet they don't necessarily play. If you don't know your audience coming in that evening, like yeah, they're all my friends, well, but what is it that they listen to? What are their favorite songs? And if they don't like the band and they're not necessarily going to dance to what the band's playing, um, they can't change who they are.

Speaker 2 25:20

This is the set, the, the amount of music. We know that we can play dj within. Oh, you want to go? You need bally bollywood music? Here we go. You know, I have some. You need cajun music or whatever it is, let's go, you know, you know, and I think that's easier for us to do on our end than it would be for a traditional band.

Speaker 1 25:41

Yeah, I love that. Alright, chris. Well, we are running out of time. Thank you so much. Yes, I actually love this episode because it was like you were interviewing me, like I just get.

Speaker 2 25:52

I was just listening here, I I think someone needs to do a travel one with you and ask to be on all your travel experiences. I think we should do an episode where you interview me.

Speaker 1 26:01

I think you should be the host. I'm gonna, I'm gonna invite you back and you're gonna be the host, and it's gonna be an episode about photo booths, but you're gonna be interviewing me. This is your open invitation. But hey, um, I want you to let our listeners know where can they go, find you social media website, maybe a phone number, how can they reach out to you?

Speaker 2 26:21

Well, one of the main places you can find the most information about Future Sounds and Chris Koval. If you go to our website, future-soundscom great place to start. I keep that the most updated. You can find me on social media at future sounds dj uh, on any of the social media channels. I'm not on tiktok, I'm, I'm. I'm much older, so I haven't gotten the tiktok thing yet, but, uh, a great.

Speaker 2 26:45

If you know, what I get really excited about is, uh, when my stuff posted on the website. Uh, my pinterest boards match my my pricing sheet so you can easily go there so you can say I see all this gibberish on this price sheet. I have no clue what that is, but it matches on the Pinterest site, so you just need pictures of my packaging so you know exactly what's there. So, yeah, at Future Sounds DJ for the DJ service on social media and future-soundscom, the main web address.

Speaker 1 27:12

Awesome. Well, thank you so much again. We'll have you open invitation to have you again, because I know you do have other services that you offer and we'll definitely be talking about that on a different episode. But to our listeners out there, thank you so much for tuning in today. I will catch you guys next week. Cheers. Thanks for listening to the Tipsy Guest Podcast. If you know someone who could benefit from these tips, spread the love and share it with them. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Next round's on us, same time, same place, cheers. This podcast is brought to you by MVP Photo Booth, the number one photo booth rental company in San Antonio, austin and Central Texas.