Beyond the DJ Booth
Brian B and Joe Bunn tackle questions about the private event DJ industry, share music, gear/gadgets, and stories from their events.
Beyond the DJ Booth
Beyond the Booth: DJs Who Inspire Us
Ever wonder which DJs have shaped today's wedding and event entertainment landscape? In this enlightening episode, Joe Bunn and Brian B pull back the curtain on their professional influences in a candid conversation about the figures who've transformed their approach to both music and business.
The discussion reveals how pioneers like Mike Walter set the standard for professionalism in private events, while Jason Jani showed there are multiple paths to success that don't require following a rigid formula. When it comes to musical inspiration, both hosts credit DJ AM as the revolutionary who broke the mold of chronological sets, proving you could jump seamlessly between decades and genres to create something truly magical.
Through thoughtful reflection, Brian and Joe explore how their inspirations evolved from simply emulating others to finding their own voices and styles. They highlight current innovators like Spider, Vice, Scene, Fusemania, and Drew Pierce who continue pushing boundaries with their brave track selections and technical prowess—influences that increasingly shape the private event world.
Beyond inspiration, this episode delivers practical value with Brian's "Gear Corner" featuring the Jackery 500 portable power station and a solution for maintaining professional appearance with proper cases for it. The hosts also tackle a listener question about whether DJs should take photos with couples at weddings, weighing marketing benefits against timing considerations.
What makes this conversation special is how it connects artistic evolution with business savvy, showing that the best DJs draw inspiration from multiple worlds. Whether you're established in the industry or just starting out, you'll gain valuable perspective on how to develop your unique approach while learning from those who've mastered the craft.
So what DJs have influenced your style? Share your thoughts and subscribe to catch every episode of Beyond the DJ Booth!
RESOURCES & LINKS
Our website. Please leave a review! - https://www.beyondthedjbooth.com/
To book Joe Bunn: https://bunndjcompany.com/
To book Brian B: https://djbrianbofficial.com/
Joe’s Gear Finds on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/djjoebunn
Brian’s Gear Finds on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/djbrianbofficial
DJ Event Planner free demo: https://www.djeventplanner.com/signup.php
Brian B's Coaching Options: Https://www.thdjscreativeedge.com
welcome back to beyond the dj booth brought to you by DJ Event Planner, our CRM of choice. I'm Brian B and this is it's Joe Bunn. Hey, still, yeah, four episodes later, yeah.
Speaker 2:We're still rocking and rolling. Rocking and rolling Hacking over pollen coughing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is going to be the. Do you think?
Speaker 2:you're sick or it's pollen allergy type thing.
Speaker 1:It has to be pollen. I don't really get sick what do you mean? You don't get sick they call it kind of like a pilot's immunity okay, I'm on the road so much that I'm, like you know, on planes a lot, so that's where you pick up a lot of the stuff and they call it a pilot's immunity, because a lot of the pilots never get sick because they're always traveling, they're in the air, they, they're. You know, if you notice, most of those guys are the most fit people you probably ever see.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I think I have that because I rarely ever go down, damn. But this pollen is next level. Next level it's for real dude.
Speaker 2:It's serious. Southern yellow.
Speaker 1:I saw the stat that Raleigh is the seventh worst as far as like allergies go.
Speaker 2:Yeah that Raleigh is the seventh worst as far as allergies go. It's the pine trees. Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 1:Did you ever do an allergy test?
Speaker 2:It's been a long time, were they like?
Speaker 1:prick your skin or whatever. I did it.
Speaker 2:What were you allergic to?
Speaker 1:All the freaking trees and grasses Really, and I'm like I never Like your skin welted up. Oh yeah, oh wow, and so then I started treatment for it because they tell you that you can go to an allergist. They basically they start you strong and they get you like the ones that you're allergic to. They just kind of you get it into your body so that you build up immunity to it and then they wean you off, oh, and over a two year period, so it's not like tomorrow you're gonna get done.
Speaker 2:It's not a fix.
Speaker 1:No it takes that long for your building. You did that I started it, I haven't finished it, are you?
Speaker 2:taking like zyrtec or any? What was? What did tara just send you?
Speaker 1:I need she, uh, she said well, zyrtec, I do take that, yeah, and then um you can only take that once a day yeah, what's the kind of? Uh it's wow, pseudofed. I didn't know this. I don't get enough meds to know this, but apparently the real stuff you have to get from the pharmacist, that's right.
Speaker 2:But they have because they make crystal meth or something oh, I guess, I don't know. Isn't that right Crack, or something.
Speaker 1:So you can get the not as potent version off the shelf. And then we have the non-potent version, so I took that. That helped.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I'm sick or if I've got allergies. I mean, I got to the point where, dude, I was so worried about this cough I went to the ENT ear, nose and throat doctor. Homeboy sho boy shoved a camera up my nose and down my throat. That's gonna be brutal. It was brutal. You don't do a neti pot I don't know.
Speaker 1:I'm not a neti potter. Okay, do you know what it is? Yeah, I did it.
Speaker 2:No, I I think you know, because my dad had esophageal cancer. Now I'm hyper, um, paranoid yeah, this is the word and I've never been like that before, anything that related to that. And then he was like you're good, like I'm looking around in here, there's nothing wrong. You know, if you want to be double sure, get in the car and drive down to wake radiology and get a chest x-ray. So I went straight from there, got a chest x-ray. 24 hours later he's like you're good and I'm like dude, what is this?
Speaker 2:three month lingering, kind of yeah yeah, that's not good, I don't know, dude, dude, it's kind of weird. Opcon A. Opcon A.
Speaker 1:I need that Is what I've heard to try it. Somebody swears by it supposedly, so I'm going to get that on the way home.
Speaker 2:Well, wait a minute. So is pollen only a problem in like the South or in places that have a lot of pine trees, like heavily forested areas? So is this happening in Minnesota right now?
Speaker 1:I don't know if it's out.
Speaker 2:I remember in California or New York, I think it's the East Coast thing.
Speaker 1:Florida gets a little bit, but not this bad.
Speaker 2:This has been brutal Because in Maryland where I'm from, it's pretty bad too. It is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is when you want to own a car wash as a business right Every time we drive by one.
Speaker 2:I'm like that place is just printing money Right and storage facilities. Those are my two.
Speaker 1:The third is clothes washing, that's me Dry cleaners? No, no, not dry cleaners, but like the coin laundry Really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, those do so well, they smash the one next door to where I work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, crushes it Always A lot of people just don't, they don't want to. I mean, if you get locations, everything with all of these Right, right.
Speaker 2:But those do well. I'll tell you what I thought was a goal win, and my buddy did it, and he took a bath on one of those ice machines in the parking lot where the bag drops out of the chute, one's down at the beach, lying around the corner, and they crush it.
Speaker 1:So you want to know one of my odd jobs, what I used to work with Rooney G and we used to do gambling games in bars and in strip clubs. You owned them, he owned them. I would service them Like go take the quarters out.
Speaker 1:Take the quarters I could wrap $10 in quarters like that, because I just we'd go get them and then soon they became cashless and so the stores just started buying them on their own and we had, so we took a bath like or he took a bath more than me, but I mean every every week I was. We had like maybe 50 of these around yeah and so I go every friday coin collecting where was this?
Speaker 2:what city? Uh dustin wow, I learned something about you. Every podcast speaking of it's a two-parter, two--parter. I love two-parters. Who inspired past tense you in terms of, let's call it, private event DJs that you've looked up to to either help or grow your business. Part A, part B what DJs again? It could be DJs that play at a festival.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Could be people that play private events. Could be living or dead. What DJs have inspired you?
Speaker 1:When I started DJing I wasn't in the mobile circuit of trade shows. It wasn't a thing really. I mean, they were there, I was doing it with Pioneer, but I wasn't in the seminars.
Speaker 2:Yeah right.
Speaker 1:So I think the first guy, I mean uh, mike Walter, I mean he's, I would definitely put him on my list he's.
Speaker 2:I mean everything was super polished.
Speaker 1:I just thought the way he carried himself, like all of it, super successful business. I would say he was definitely an inspiration early on. And then I think Jen I probably would, probably, would be in that list. I think the way that he's evolved and continued to stay at the top of his game and with his company, and the hardest would you agree that New Jersey would be the hardest market in the country?
Speaker 2:Oh, totally, me too.
Speaker 1:And then I kind of got off the whole DJ train for business because I was realizing that so many people actually it was Jason who really kind of opened my eye, because with Mike I'm guilty of it I was very much a copy and paste, Like let's just do what his book says.
Speaker 1:Obviously, he's done a great job he's got to work. But then I realized it wasn't me, like I not the guy who's going to go out there and, do you know, lead line dances, yeah Right. And then Jason really was the guy who kind of I saw all right, you don't have to do that, sure.
Speaker 2:You can still be super successful off of that, and so now I don't say I think I have somebody that I would say I look up to. As far as I mean it could have been, it was more as you were coming up. Yeah, right, like that you answered the question.
Speaker 1:you were somebody as well, I would say, um, I mean the, the, the whole franchising and all of that I think is super unique, interesting. Yeah, I feel like you've reinvented yourself. I mean, I saw those old joe bunn pictures back in the day, the day with the tux and the whole situation Rough you know. Now think about where it is now To stay in it this long and still be kind of Relevant. Yeah, it's crazy. But then DJ-wise.
Speaker 1:Yeah musically From an open format. I would say Spider has been a huge inspiration. I feel like that guy. He's very broad in his musical styles and tastes and I've seen him play a few different times. I would binge his podcast when he would do ones on music. Yeah, I mean vice, obviously another guy. I love vice and if I go back older, you know adam, you know dj am another big one and I'd say now like scenes, another one for me.
Speaker 1:I love his style, I love how he can mix things around. So I kind of don't really look to the mobiles as much Not that there's great mobiles out there, but the guys that are pushing the envelope. I'm starting to see the influence of that hitting into the mobile world. So those are the guys I kind of look at and go man, I can identify with those kind of things and see what I can do to bring in their styles to what I do.
Speaker 2:The original open format guy to me will always be AM Right. That was the first time I saw AM play at Hard Rock Body English was some stupid shit. I was there Didn't really at the time. Am wasn't really AM, but he was kind of AM. I just remember seeing Serato for the first time in Vegas. That kind of just changed my whole world.
Speaker 1:I was like dude there's no way there's to just drop sweet home alabama and in a vegas club or whatever right.
Speaker 2:And then nelly or whatever that was the next I was very, you know came up in this, this world of like pockets, like I'm gonna start this set and I'm gonna play oh what a night.
Speaker 2:And brick house and play that funky music, and we are family, and then I'm gonna play, I will survive yeah and then then I might go to Billie Jean, then I might go to so I'm going from the 70s to the 80s and then by the time the party was really going, I would be in the generation that we were living in currently. That's how I would play it, and I just thought that was the way to do it. Back then, you know, everybody was a different age yeah, yeah, I feel like it depends.
Speaker 1:Yeah, who's on the crowd?
Speaker 2:it could worked. But when I saw him I'm like yo man, this dude is literally just jumping decades of time, flawlessly. I was just mind blown. I mean current people that are operating the private events slash club space Fuse is crazy. Drew Pierce crazy, Duder, crazy those guys to me are just iconic, and especially Drew. He's like I mean, the word is brave, you know what I mean like to to have the ability and the balls to drop whatever mgmt yeah, you know or the 1975, or just like, even like a random tribe call quest song that wasn't really big. And then that to know, you know three songs ahead that I can get out of this or that if this tanks, I'm already prepared, I can get out of this quickly, flawlessly. Those are kind of the guys that I come up to.
Speaker 2:That's my show opener for you. Okay, hey, want to make more money at every single event. Let me put you onto something. It's called S-Start. It's the event platform made by a DJ for DJs. With S-Start, you can offer apps like live photo sharing, real-time slideshows, song requests and even seating charts, and you can upsell your clients like a pro. It's simple, plug-and-play, easy to use and your clients they love it. Join their membership for the best pricing and watch your profits soar. Go to S-Startcom right now and book your free demo.
Speaker 1:I got a gear corner, okay.
Speaker 2:Do people like the gear corner? Do you think?
Speaker 1:Matt Fly was like you got to keep doing this every show. The gear corner, yeah. So I was like, all right, I will say this before we get into the gear corner.
Speaker 2:If you are missing the link, do you update your Amazon?
Speaker 1:page. I do Because I'm not very good at that. Yeah, I am Okay.
Speaker 2:So the link is in the description of the YouTube video. That goes to Brian's and my Amazon page. He's usually the gear master, so you'll probably want to click on that to find the next product, which is da, da, da da.
Speaker 1:It's a case, but I want to talk about the product first that you would put into the case, because I feel like that one's kind of universal at this point. You know, back in the day, dude, when you would have power problems, it was like you got to have a generator to make it work. Yeah, now these jackeries, do you?
Speaker 2:use one, I have one, yes you do?
Speaker 1:what version? Is it? The 500, the thousand, I mean? I think?
Speaker 2:I have the 1000, so I have the five. I rarely use it, to be fair, because I use the e-verse so much and they are already battery powered. I think I bought it pre-battery power speaker and I also still have my Honda gas powered. You do, wow, yeah, whisper Quiet.
Speaker 1:Oh, whisper Quiet.
Speaker 2:Okay, it's quiet, but you still need to run 100 feet to put it up in the sand dunes or something.
Speaker 1:Right, so I use these for events where a lot of the rooms I'm playing they're odd shaped. Yeah. Events where, like the a lot of the rooms I'm playing they're odd shaped, yeah, and the power isn't always really close to them. Yeah, so I'll use these for, like, auxiliary speakers or what I call phil speakers yeah, but the jackery itself I mean a 500 will get you through an event pretty easily.
Speaker 1:That's the 500, yeah super light, okay, and the battery life is insanity. Like you can do a five, six hour event and it might get down to 50 at the most, wow, wow. So this would power up a basic rig. It would not work with the 90s probably. You need a bigger, higher wattage. But here's my problem it comes in a box Like a cardboard box A cardboard box.
Speaker 1:So I put on I don't remember what one of the DJ groups and I go hey, anybody else have a Jackery, they don't make a case for it. I Well, of course, garrity goes, I raw dog it. I just bring it into the venue, just like with this. A couple other people said the same thing. I'm like I can't go into a Four Seasons with an orange looking freaking battery which is what it looks like and take it in there. I need something else. So somebody shared with me this off-market case that basically it's padded. Is that literally for this? It fits this model perfectly in it and it's orange and black, and it's orange and black. It has a pocket where you can put all of the accessories. Yeah, and it also has a shoulder strap, which I don't have. Is that amazon? This is on amazon. The jackery itself, if you were looking for that, I think it's like 4.99. I got it on sale. It's always on sale, so like right now you can pay.
Speaker 1:Actually, you can pay 329 for a 500 right now. That's a great deal. What do you think this is?
Speaker 2:for let's call.
Speaker 1:The satchel.
Speaker 2:Here, feel it, I mean it's heavy duty, yeah, it's nice. It's not cheap $29.95.
Speaker 1:You're pretty close $32. Okay, but I like it too, because I can actually keep this in the bag. Yeah, and just keep it next to a speaker.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, so it's not like out in the open, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's not obvious, it doesn't look, that's your bro 32 bucks.
Speaker 2:Nice one.
Speaker 1:Get yourself one If you need it. If you get the Jackery, I highly recommend it.
Speaker 2:Do they make bigger ones? Did you get into that? They do Down that rabbit hole. Okay, they do.
Speaker 1:And I don't have. This is the only one. I have the 500. So, anyway, highly recommend it. Make it look more professional, yeah, and I'm like that looks tacky too. So then I got this bag and I'm golden.
Speaker 2:So but it is not made by Jackery, it's not made by Jackery.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know even who makes it, to be honest. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You've heard me and Brian B talk about running a successful DJ business every week here on this podcast, but if you want more, you need the DJ's vault. For just $25 a month, you get access to my proven sales and marketing strategies, all of my documents, live trainings, discounts and a community of DJs who are growing their businesses every day. The DJ's vault has been called the Netflix of DJ information. Want to try it free for a whole week? Go to wwwthedjsvaultcom. Slash free week and get inside right now. Love that.
Speaker 1:Do you want to do a question? Sure, let's do it, oh this is a good question. Richie Stedman back. Richie Stedman my boy Salt Lake City.
Speaker 2:Oh wait, what is it again? The best DJ in Utah. Best DJ in.
Speaker 1:Utahcom. Wow yeah, he's a good dude.
Speaker 2:Do you get pictures? Why or why not? What do you do? I would love to have it.
Speaker 1:I just never seem to get it. Do you try? No, and I should. What about you? I don't know. I feel like it's kind of self-serving. That's probably my own hang up with it like come here, let me get a picture with you guys, just for posterity's sake, or whatever the case may be. Now, if a professional photographer offers I'll definitely do it.
Speaker 1:I put this thing away. I just I don't know. I never find the right time to do it either, Like honestly, like I'm not doing it when we're tearing down. I feel like that's just kind of cheesy. I don't really get pictures with the couples, and it's not because I don't want to. I just I just don't know. I feel like over the past six months and going into the future, 75 to 80% of our weddings are doing a private last dance.
Speaker 2:I feel like at the end of that private last dance is a prime opportunity, especially if you have an assistant Saquon's with me. They finished that last dance, you know. By then I've got the microphone off. I just give them a clap. I'm like thank you guys. You know, thanks for having me yeah and they're getting ready to go out and do their sparkler departure or whatever. Could I get a picture with y'all.
Speaker 1:That seems like the most. That's the best way to do it.
Speaker 2:Yes, without it feeling forced, easy. Or yeah, because literally the only people left in there at that point are me, saquon and them.
Speaker 1:But what if, like it was a rager shirts off. You know hair's messed up. What are you going to do? Are you going to put that on your Instagram?
Speaker 2:The bride had her shirt off.
Speaker 1:No, the groom's, you know her makeup's, just like she's been dancing sweating is she gonna want to take that photo? And secondly, do you want to post that on a platform that, because you don't even post that stuff on your I mean would you post on your story?
Speaker 2:it was story. Is story worthy? For me it's not. It's not post worthy. I mean the way. The reason I do like it is because like here's what, here's what we did. Like here's, you know, we ripped it. The guy's got his tie off, like you said. She sweaty, like I just ripped this place apart. So there's that, that's the positive of it. Is she going to love the picture? Maybe not. I get what you're saying, or even him, I wouldn't care. I would be like hell, yeah, man, let's get a pic.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean If I'm getting married and I'm you think people do it.
Speaker 1:I mean, is there a marketing angle here?
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure. If nothing else, it's good for social, it proves you're working. But I mean you can prove you're working by showing the dance floor or your gear or whatever else. I don't know. Man, I think the better picture to me is always going to be will the couple come back there behind the decks and put on the headphones, right, and you're over there hyping them up? Or me standing beside them with a cannon and she's firing it off?
Speaker 1:yeah, like yeah, yeah, yeah you know, keep going like.
Speaker 2:That's a much better image than that just three nerds standing there, going you know I played your wedding like I don't I don't know it's, it's not ever going to be mandatory for me, but but I think it is a good part of the story. It's a good last story of the night kind of thing. I don't know, let's try it, Saquon. We'll try it. We'll be the guinea pig.
Speaker 1:All right, let me know how it goes.
Speaker 2:Are you just side note? Are you big on private life stances right now?
Speaker 1:I'm indifferent. Obviously, I love it when it's like I don't have to clear everybody out and just end on a high note. Yeah, I feel like it's a little bit of a dip. Yeah, would you say, you still have about 75% doing in grand exits too. Oh, easily, it does help me with that, yeah, getting people out of there. Yeah, hey they're going to take part in this private dance. We need you to exit.
Speaker 2:Yes, get these pictures right.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, and and they're still big. We get a ton of rent exits.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, we do too A lot, whether it's bubbles, sparks, whatever, we get a ton of that. To me, if you don't have some sort of exit, it is very odd to just end a party. They turn the lights up and everybody's just kind of standing there staring at each other. Yeah, to me it's odd. You got to clear that room. Whether you come back, come back in and get your coats or whatever, that's a different story. But like if you just say thanks, everybody, have a great weekend, good night, and then somebody you know from the venue staff cranks the lights up and then, I mean I just put on something like a random just Van Morrison song in the background, so it's not so freaking awkward.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I got a bunch of like instrumentals I played Right. The other thing is if remotely know then they might stay out there and stay out there and start dancing, and then I got another problem, exactly. So I kind of need, and then the venue staff's cussing you out because you're playing past time.
Speaker 2:Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, anywho, I don't know that we we didn't really answer the question. I don't. We're not doing it. I guess neither of us are. Why not? I mean it. It should be probably done, yeah I don't shame anybody for doing it. No, I mean either I'm not like some people that's like their personality.
Speaker 1:Like it's like, like I think Rob Frey does it too. He's a big like get a picture with the couple. It's just not my MO Right.
Speaker 2:I'd rather you know figure out another way to have that memory I got. I got the last, last statement on this B five-star review C picture with a couple A.
Speaker 1:It's not a question, he said.
Speaker 2:A yeah, tip cash money, yeah, all day. You got enough reviews. I feel like, yeah, I don't.
Speaker 1:I mean I don't even think that matters as much anymore. I mean, Really, At least when you get to a certain price point, it's all about the planner referral. The couple's not looking at that. At the price point that I'm at right now, everything is planner referred in.
Speaker 2:Yes, or venue referred in. I agree with you, there is a lot of referral now but to be fair in the price point we're at, let's call it three, four $5,000. I do believe that reviews matter, but it's like we have thousands across the platform at this point. I still want them, I still love to get them, I still love to read them. It still makes you feel good.
Speaker 1:Oh, totally.
Speaker 2:I guess, at the end of the day, though, what was my point, that I was going with this?
Speaker 1:I was just saying the hierarchy. Like for me it's not going to move the needle much for me, right? I mean, if I had zero reviews, absolutely I need some's there. I don't need this to have one more feather in my cap. I do think you need to be current on your reviews, though. Sure you know, if you had, the last review you got was two years ago. That's a problem. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2:I agree. Yeah, reviews definitely matter. I guess my point was sorry. I just remember my train of thought here. When you buy the Jackery bag or the nail trimmer or whatever we've talked about in these last four episodes we batch recorded today, are you going to the reviews and seeing if it's like four plus stars and what people are saying?
Speaker 1:Yes, you do.
Speaker 2:And don't you think people that are booking a DJ for their wedding on the most important and beautiful day of their life are?
Speaker 1:doing the same. Yeah, but if I had a Brian B who already knew what to get, I would trust their judgment. Got you Okay, and I wouldn't need to read those reviews, brian B. Yeah, that's what the planner is for this couple.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Right, they're the purveyor of the vendors, the middleman, right the middleman. So they're doing that.
Speaker 2:This guy's the shit. You need to get Brian B episode dude.
Speaker 2:Let's do it, let's put a bow on this and thank our sponsors, dj, event Planner, for sure, s-start, make sure to check them out. E-s-s-t-a-r-tcom Super cool software products, live photo show. They even have a seating chart. Definitely some stuff you could probably use to upsell and add on to your client experience. Check them out at S-Startcom. Again, we love reviews. Please leave them and also tune in every single Wednesday morning. These drop super early on the East Coast, so even earlier on the West Coast.
Speaker 1:And if there's something you want us to cover or a question, put it in the comments. Let us know, because we love to we always love your questions.
Speaker 2:Put it on YouTube or just message us directly. Instagram at Joe Bunn. Instagram at DJ Brian B Official. Dj Brian B Official. And that's a wrap. Thank y'all. See ya, see ya.
