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
Should You Still Open with “September”?
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Ever wonder why so many DJs open the dance floor with "September"? We're pulling back the curtain on dance floor strategy with a candid conversation about song selection that can make or break your event's momentum.
When the photographer co-hosts of The Vendor Table podcast called out DJs for predictable opening tracks, we decided to share our tried-and-tested approach to kicking off memorable dance parties. From James Brown's "Get Up Offa That Thing" to cleverly remixed classics like The Spinners' "I'll Be Around," we reveal how strategic first song choices establish your DJ style while reading the room's energy perfectly.
The episode also features a surprising find – professional-quality in-ear monitors for just $45 that could rival their $1000+ custom-molded counterparts. We discuss how this budget-friendly option delivers exceptional sound quality without breaking the bank, perfect for DJs looking to upgrade their monitoring setup without the premium price tag.
Between our doorbell-triggered dog freakouts and impromptu mall survival debates, we explore the delicate balance between reliable crowd-pleasers and innovative song selection. Whether you're a working DJ looking to refresh your opener arsenal or a client wanting to understand the method behind the music, you'll gain valuable insights into how seasoned professionals craft those crucial first moments on the dance floor.
Ready to elevate your opening track game? Comment "start me up" on our Instagram post to receive our wedding party starter kit Spotify playlist featuring our proven floor-fillers that set the perfect tone every time.
If you're a true Booth Head (super fan of the pod), join our Patreon for all the extras and one-off goodies. You can get there by going to: patreon.com/BeyondTheDJBoothPodcast
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
Opening Chat and Mall Talk
Speaker 1what's up everybody. Welcome back to Beyond the DJ Booth podcast, your favorite private event DJ podcast in the whole world.
Speaker 2Man, you're getting good at those intros.
Speaker 1Do you think malls are still around in 10 years?
Speaker 2You know, the one right here, the one, the Crabtree one that just got bought $290 million, which I think is a steal. Think about what that property is worth, but what are they going to do with that? They're fixing it up Right, so they're like but is it going to?
Speaker 1make it 10 more years. It's been there since the 70s. Yeah, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2Why, if you want to actually go and try something on, I mean, you're going to have to, I think. Those anchor stores, yeah, where else are they going to go? Like Macy's, yeah, all those, they're still doing good, those restaurants Packed out, what is it? Pf Chang's is over there Cheesecake.
Speaker 1Factory.
Speaker 2I think that those places are like anchor stores. The only thing you could do is just make it better. The indoor stores, like those independents, are the ones that struggle. Yeah, I think those are going to be tough, unless you're super niche.
Speaker 1Let me ask you a question as somebody that's new to this state or new to this city.
Speaker 2What have you?
Speaker 1been here two years or three now.
Speaker 2No, it's going on three yeah.
Speaker 1Have you ever been to Triangle Town Center?
Speaker 2That's the one that's right on Capitol. It's out there on the right, yeah. Yeah, I have been there that one's a little empty, desolate it is the saddest state of retail I've ever seen.
Speaker 1Colin goes out there, my oldest son. For what? Just to look at the state of deterioration.
Speaker 2Was that like a go-to?
Speaker 1for him. Bro, that was the premier mall. Not that long ago there was a Louis Vuitton store in that, Wow yeah, and they soon after yanked the license because nobody goes there. The entire mall is vacant. I mean, I bet I could call right now and be like I'm selling X widget and they would give me a space just to come there.
Speaker 2It's a location, bro, it's just way out there. I agree, you can't see it from the road really. No, but I do like that parking again because it's desolate, but compared to Crabtree, crabtree, crabtree's a bit of a mess. The parking is just.
Speaker 1I figured it out. We'll talk about it all for here, but I'll get you right. You got some secrets, but to answer your question, I think they'll be around.
Speaker 2Because, these places invest heavily for that kind of time frame. They're not putting it for a two-year return. That's going to take return. That's gonna take a while to get that money back. So I have a feeling they're thinking five or ten years. And you know there's a lot of I don't know about here, but I can tell you in california a lot of those malls are converting to like indoor outdoor spaces, yeah, so that they can use them differently. They're not all indoor, so maybe they do something like that. I don't know if that's the new trend, maybe, but it's going to be hot in the summer if you, if you go with the outdoor config I don't know, just asking all right.
Speaker 2Well, uh, I got another little opener here for you. You've been so good on so many of these recently. I'm on a roll. This is a couple episodes ago. It's kind of callback, but on the dochi godier track, right, you were kind of like I don't you don't like the dochi.
Speaker 2No, I don't, I don't dochi it okay, so this is a dochi or godier challenge. Okay, I'm gonna play the beginning of a track and you're gonna tell me is it the godier version or is it the dochi version? Let's see if you can tell based on the beginning of this. Okay, which one it is.
The Dochi vs. Godier Challenge
Speaker 1You gotta say it before the vocal before the Godier or Dochi. I think it's Dochi. I think it's Dochi. The tempo sounds a little weird to me. I'm going to let it ride.
Speaker 2Anxiety, anxiety. Oh, you got it right. All right, take two. Oh shit Is this.
Speaker 1Godier or Dochi. Oh gee, Well, it started different. I mean, I feel like you're going to go Godier this time.
Speaker 2Godier, godier, or either you cut the end. Anxiety Doji. All right, hit number three One more time.
Speaker 1I think I just guessed I'm going Do you one more time.
Speaker 2Anxiety.
Speaker 1They were all do-chi. Is there a way? Is there a way? It's the exact same.
Speaker 2It's the exact same.
Speaker 1She didn't tweak it, she didn't add drums, but you were like this one exact same it's the exact same.
Speaker 2Yeah, I think the tempo is the same. She didn't tweak it, she didn't add drums, but you were like. This one sounds different.
Speaker 1It did sound different. We had to put it together. I thought the tempo was like two clicks up or no, two clicks down, but no, wow. So she really didn't change it at all.
Speaker 2Nothing. Nothing does he get a cut in that hell. Yeah, oh, I'm sure something going on. Yeah, yeah, no money office.
Speaker 1There's no way she's making money on that, because that record didn't do shit without that. Oh right, because there is a version of anxiety as a okay, I didn't know this, yeah okay, and then she did like a live stream or something over that and people were like oh my god, release it oh okay, I didn't know the whole backstory. I think, man, I'm not a doji fan got it okay, like that's what happened.
Speaker 2That was hard, let's uh move to our okay, what our featured segment?
Speaker 1the gear's here.
Speaker 2The gear is here so when you said that to me, I played it over my phone. I guess my dog went ape, ape shit.
Speaker 1Thought somebody was there At the doorbell.
Speaker 2He's like going. I'm like, oh my gosh. That dog hates it no heads up that there was a little doorbell ring.
Speaker 1That dog hates a damn visitor bro.
Speaker 2So what do we got here? In a previous episode, you and I were talking about the differences between headphones and in-ear monitors. They were expensive. You gave the figure of a grand you probably should be ready to spend on these.
Speaker 1On custom molded ultimate ears and ears Okay. More than that if you're going to get a wireless pack, okay. However, I was just like I mentioned before in the episode before I was just in.
Speaker 1Nashville, at the Hacker Hotel, the Craig Hackers event, and they did a mega stream. A mega stream, and I was on it and realized right before we were going live that I had no headphones. So I saw a guy wearing these. Did he clean them out? To be fair? I said, do you have any extra of these little rubber tips? And he was like none. I was like fuck it.
Speaker 2Oh man, that's gross. I did, but it was panic time, like I was getting ready to go live, I had nothing. Nobody had headphones.
Speaker 1Everybody had headphones, but I just didn't want to wear headphones. Okay, like that's how conditioned I am not to wear them. Wow, because then I'm like like what, what am I doing? What style am I doing? The headband style am I? Doing the neck style am I doing the, the, the damn throat chin style, like I just gave up but when you saw these and put these in your hand, you're like I was like what are these?
Speaker 2are these gonna cheap?
Speaker 1out kz, something, something, and he immediately I go here, here's my number. Man text me the link. I wouldn't mind having these for this very reason, because mine were still in Raleigh and usually they stay in the booth in the drawer. I didn't you know, I just didn't think to bring them. I knew I would be able to grab some headphones there to be, honest with you, I didn't forget them, but, man, I started listening to the first track, or whatever, and I was like dude, these are really nice and they have this piece of wire kind of over the ear.
Speaker 2So they stay in.
Speaker 1They stay in great.
Speaker 2And those are not custom molded.
Speaker 1They're not custom molded at all. They came from Amazon. In fact, I ordered them last night and they just showed up, as you saw, a few minutes ago.
Speaker 2My worry with cheap ones like that is does the base distort? Does the all the frequencies were good in there.
Speaker 1They sound great. They sound great, I mean honestly.
Speaker 2What's the brand?
Speaker 1KZ, I think, or something like that. K-z-z-s.
Speaker 2And they're on Amazon. I'm going to guess $42?.
Speaker 1They were like $49 or $46. Both of y'all wrong $44.99.
Speaker 2Oh, I'm two bucks off, I was close $45. Okay.
Speaker 1That's's good backup, right A great backup. Cord's a little bit short, so if you're just going to plug right into the mixer.
Speaker 2Oh, that's the thing, because you don't have the pack. That's right, so did you go through the shirt.
Speaker 1I just went. No, I did not go through the shirt. I had one in my left ear plugged right into the front of the mixer, and was just DJing cord great question, not sure, but they definitely make an extension. It would just be an eighth inch those are silver yep, they had black, blue, whatever I would skin tone. They have skin tone they might have flesh tone flesh tone.
Budget In-Ear Monitor Review
Speaker 1But I promise you, man, these are really good quality. I think they'd be great even if you were just listening to music on a plane yeah, they're not like noise canceling or anything but they sound really good. Yeah, I didn't have to turn them up super loud.
Speaker 2They only come with one tip. No, they had multiple tips.
Speaker 1Multiple tips.
Speaker 2Oh, you love the tip.
Speaker 1I love the tip.
Speaker 1Multiple tips in the satchel Got it, got it, and also ironically, because I was thinking about maybe just making an entire backup rig and I remember seeing Garrity, our friend, high Kevin had this brand X-B-I-V pack and I texted him last night and I said, hey, man, do you like that little pack? Because I mean, I think it was on amazon for 269. Okay, he was like I love it, whereas mine is sennheiser. It was probably 1500. Wow, it's what you know a real band would use. He was like dude, I've been using it forever.
Speaker 2It's great so I was curious, because I I never put two and two together with, exactly. So the pack is wireless you, that's the transmitter. The receiver goes into the hole of your mixer, it would go into right there in the front. Yeah, right, right there in the front and it just lays in the tray.
Speaker 1No, this one looked like a little dongle, His on the X5. Mine goes into my rack, Got it? Mine is a full 19-inch rack piece of gear. This is a much more basic version but for what we do and it's not like you're fucking, Rob Thomas. Yeah, I mean I'm just roaming around, but I mean mine is good enough to where I can usually go to the bathroom.
Speaker 2And if I have a song playing, I just have it in my ear while I'm peeing just to make sure something isn't going sideways. But man, he said, that little pack was nice so I yeah, it didn't go in sideways, but man, he said that little pack was nice so I might put the link to that as well. So, speaking of roaming around, oh boy, this is like just another aside here, jsg.
Speaker 1He's been posting these clips of him with this like mobile rig, not more than mobile rig, it's like a wearable rig would you ever do that? No, not me, but jsg I can see him.
Speaker 2I mean a hundred percent. I was like as soon as I saw it.
Speaker 1I'm like that is genius, why wouldn't you do it? It just feels um inauthentic for me Really, cause I'm not a get out on the dance floor kind of guy in the first place.
Speaker 2But you dance around. I dance around when I'm going to other people's parties.
Speaker 1I don't dance around. I care about that. I just it doesn't seem like something I would do. Yeah, I guess okay.
Speaker 2I wonder if it'll catch on for other mobile.
Speaker 1I don't know I mean, it's basically he's got that battery powered kind of blue alpha theta controller. Right, wait, so he's got that battery-powered kind of blue alpha-theta controller.
Speaker 2Right, wait, so he's walking around. Yeah, it's literally like.
Speaker 1With the controller Bluetooth back to the booth. What the yeah, because that controller's got Bluetooth in it and then he has it on. You know what a marching band drummer wears over their shoulder? Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's how he rigged it.
Speaker 2But is he using an iPad, or is or is he using a? What? What is he using he's? Bluetooth, streaming it back to probably his main booth, okay but I did see him with a screen that was not the screen is on that is it on the controller? Okay?
Mobile DJ Wearable Rigs
Speaker 1yeah, that controller has a screen, so he's probably just got tracks loaded onto that controller, right, or he might even be streaming wow, I don't. And again, he's out there, probably mixes two or three songs yeah, yeah, yeah, he's not.
Speaker 2He's not out there the whole time. No, no, no, okay, okay, okay, it's like prime dance hour.
Speaker 1He's like grabs this thing, puts it on his shoulder.
Speaker 2Kind of like, instead of the cannon, it's the.
Speaker 1Exactly, and he walks out there and he's probably got his assistant ready on the you know, ready on an emergency track, I would assume if he needed channel. I mean, we can ask, I'll ask him yeah, I'm just curious I definitely said, asked him is that what you know a marching band drummer wears? Whatever those harnesses are called. That video went crazy, crazy.
Speaker 2Yeah, good for him I mean, shout out, he's always innovating. I love that he's oh, I love that he's an entertainer man.
Speaker 1That's it. That's what he was made to do yeah, he's an entertainer.
Speaker 1You've heard me and brian b talk about running a successful dj business every week 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. 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.
Speaker 2Moving on to kind of our music stuff. Yeah, I saw this video which prompted our category today, the Vendor Table Podcast, which was two photographers. Did you see this video? I'm going to play it for you.
Speaker 1I do see their clips.
Speaker 2I do not listen to their podcast.
Speaker 1They Did you see this video. I'm going to play it for you.
Speaker 2I do see their clips. I do not listen to their podcast. They posted this on their story. Okay, because both those people I don't think they always work together. Yeah, but they work together at this one thing.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2And one of their rants is that DJs tend to play the same opening track at every wedding that they go to. They literally called out one of the tracks that they've do you know where they are, just out of curiosity. No idea, okay, no idea. So this is them going to a reception. I'm gonna guess it. What do you think? It is september? Well, I think you might be first track of the night so they've been calling that track.
Speaker 2I thought it would be good for us to come up with what would be the first song you would open the dance floor with.
Speaker 1Before I go into this list, let me just say this, and I'll come back to this ad nauseum I don't give a fuck what a wedding vendor or another DJ thinks about my set, because I get it Every they're seeing a DJ. The average guest goes to one to two weddings a year. I get that on the flip side, but, yes, I do want to have some originality.
Speaker 2Well, my point is is the bag that small of tracks that you have to use September? Everyone of?
Speaker 1course not. He'll tell you I don't do that, I just knew it was going to be.
Speaker 2Oh, I agree. Have I used September to open a dance floor? Absolutely, of course.
Speaker 1But it also depends on their list, it also depends on the crowd, it also depends on how much food they ate, how hot it is, is the sun down? How long do I have to play?
Speaker 2How short do I have to play? How short do I have to play? But to their credit. What I'm saying is I won't say this about every DJ, but I think there's a tendency to. I don't want to say get lazy, but get comfortable. Let's use that word, of course, with the ones that you always use there's a tendency to get comfortable or lazy with any of your set items.
Speaker 1I was training new DJs yesterday, and this may be different for you or Brian B, who I consider a music curator, a music expert, a dig for the gold gems expert, whereas I'm usually relying on you or Randy to go. Hey man, you should add this this is good. I don't believe that there are 10 songs. Let me state this 10 original new songs that I add a year To the starter crate, to any crate. In other words, there are not 10 songs that are going to come out in the year of 2025 that I'll add. There are going to be tens of dozens of dozens of dozens of edits of songs that I've already been playing.
Speaker 2I understand what you're saying.
Speaker 1Can you think of 10 songs that have come out in the last 12 months that you've added, and then I'll second that with and are going to keep playing into the next year.
Speaker 2I think I can get close.
Speaker 1Okay, I can't.
September and Opening Dance Floor Tracks
Speaker 2I'm going to steer it this way. For a hot second you can Song of the Summer Speaking into this whole thing. I can give you one because I feel like I know for me what has been working that has been released this year anything. I saw somebody mentioned it on some of the facebook groups and they keep using pink pony club, which has been crushing.
Speaker 1But that didn't come out this year. No, that was loud we were.
Speaker 2We were playing that last, oh yeah any song that has come out this year that you'd be like.
Speaker 1This is the song on the summer no, if you say anxiety by doji, I'm gonna throw you out the fucking window.
Speaker 2No, uh, I would say go on for the one that has been crushing for me and I played it the last five or six weddings. Every time it gets to the chorus pandemonium it's the no broke boys. The disco lines version with tanash don't even have it. Oh, you need to be playing it. Okay, just the chorus.
Speaker 1Okay, you don't even need to get into the yeah, but that is very crazy, though, to throw out Song of Summer for something that just has a chorus. Well, I mean you could play the verse Last year I think we had this conversation or something and it was like I had some help. Or it might have been Shaboosie Tipsy or whatever.
Speaker 2But I mean all the people will. I mean, yes, the verse track. I could, and I don't think I would lose people, but I swear I don't think I had 10 songs a year.
Speaker 1Really no man, I don't. Maybe I should you know, but I don't. I don't see them on lists. It's free will I want the couples to send me, I do. I do too, like that's interesting, but for the most part, man, it's those same songs. You know why? Because they work you know why?
Speaker 2Because they grew up on them you know why?
Speaker 1Because they hit in college. You know why? Because they played it on spring break. So I don't necessarily have to be Mr Original. Is it great to throw an edit in?
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1You know, or a different version. They've never heard. A hundred percent and not burnout and so on and so forth, but this list I'm going to give you for these starter songs is not going to be revolutionary, or groundbreaking.
Speaker 2All right, before we circle back to that, what will be your song of the summer?
Speaker 1I don't have one.
Speaker 2You don't have one? No, you don't think there's one for 2025?
Speaker 1No, Okay, I like what I like. You know what I mean. I like the new Bieber album Most. The new Clips album is the album of the year. Wow, I think it's that good.
Speaker 2I think it literally saved hip-hop.
Speaker 1Absolutely. Nobody's going to request anything off either record.
Speaker 2That's what I ride around and listen to for the last two weeks because I think they're both good, but that was the Clips album and I haven't listened to it, so don't judge me on that yet. But was it made to be played in the club? Absolutely not, Absolutely not. Okay. So it's a right or wrong album. It was meant to save hip-hop and get rid of the little.
Speaker 1Uzi Vert, cardi B, travis Scott, fucking baby voice screaming in the mic garbage.
Speaker 2There's maybe one song that could you know if they played it on the radio. I'm trying to look at it. I'll say they had the WNBA All-Star Game and I know I'm old, by the way, before y'all come for my head. So it could be so. Glorilla headlined the WNBA All-Star Game this weekend yeah. Crowd going crazy for Glorilla.
Speaker 1That makes sense. Yeah, it's a great choice. By the way. Oh, yeah For that event, yeah Go on.
Speaker 2So anyways, I'm just saying like her record seems to be doing well. I haven't gotten any requests for it, though.
Speaker 1Well, have you heard that? Travis scott and glover the song no garbage? I'll play it later. No, I don't have a song of the summer man. I mean, I think ashley and I were talking about this a few weeks ago. We didn't really have anything right. We felt like had trended okay there's nothing I've been riding around on the boat. There's nothing that's been showing up on every playlist yeah there is no pink pony club.
Speaker 1In my opinion. I've seen, yeah, like this pattern that's on these lists. Well, I don't know, man sometimes like like, I feel like you're really good at making things stick well, let's, let's make the social clip here for the dance floor starters.
Speaker 2Give us a word that you think would work for this on the post, because let's go, let's go.
Speaker 1You're gonna comment, start me up start me up.
Speaker 2start as one word. It doesn't matter, I'll put both start me up, start me up.
Speaker 1All as one word it doesn't matter, I'll put both Start me up as three words or start me up as one word and what will they get? They are going to get Brian B and Joe Bunn's wedding party starter kit.
Speaker 2Okay, there we go. I love it Spotify link, so give us one. You got one off the top of your head?
Speaker 1Yeah, I do, man. I mean I. I just I made a short list last night and I'm curious if we got any of the same. Of course we do, you want?
Speaker 2me to just run the list. I mean there's go ahead. I got a couple samples.
Speaker 1There's nine, okay, and again there's nothing revolutionary, randy, and I discussed this yesterday at the end of the training. What you got, number one if I need to be super low-key, of course I'm going. My girl like I don't think that this crowd is nearly ready to dance, I'm just going to ease into it. Al Green, let's Stay Together would be the alternate choice to that. It's just super mellow. You just ate too much.
Speaker 2They're rushing me into start, but do you ever go? The dance floor is open and then play those two tracks. You wouldn't say it like that right, the dance floor is open, people think you're gonna about and then you want yeah, like I'm talking over.
Speaker 1Hey, we're gonna just start nice and easy, like so it's kind of less hype. Yeah, hey, guys we're just gonna start nice and easy and I don't know, you know curious how you did it.
Speaker 2Blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 1Okay, yeah, with those two tracks if I know they're not ready, I just can sense it okay, right, or maybe what.
Speaker 2If you want to get them ready, what is the track that you think would go off?
Speaker 1I mean, boogie Shoes is going to work, dancing Queen is going to work, respect's going to work. September, even though we just shit on, it is going to work. Any arbitrary Black Eyed Peas? Okay, I mean I used to close with. I Got a Feeling I think you could open with.
Speaker 1I Got a Feeling, I think you could open with let's Get it Started, yeah, okay, I think you could open with yeah, I think you could pick 24K Magic or Up Down Funk, if they haven't banned it, like everybody's trying to do now. Right, I mean, that's all I've got. Could I go in the bag and try and be like Captain Unique or whatever? Sure, but I don't need to Right, it's not the right time for it, unless somebody came up and goes hey, newsflash, they're going to kill the power in 20 minutes, or something.
Speaker 1Like yeah, I would hyperspeed to the really good shit, but I don't need to Right. I've got to pay two and a half hours, three hours. Totally agree. Grandma's still there, right, and so are the 30-year-olds.
Speaker 2Right. I don't know, man, my point with this segment was more or less like you don't have to'm going to be that original, but these two were the two weddings that I just did. They wanted to do a group shot before we started the dancing, which is annoying, go on. So I had to line everybody up there. Everyone has to be quiet because the photographer has to do everything Right right. And then it's like they're done and then bang, you need to get them, I got to get.
Speaker 2And they're on the yelling hype stuff for the photo, so it wasn't like I could just go to a slow song. What do you mean? They were yelling out song titles.
Speaker 1No, no no, they were going, everyone go, hey you know something like that. So to go back to something low, no, no, I wouldn't have done that right so the first one, that wedding I went with, get up off that thing.
Speaker 2Whoo james brown, which I feel like great track is not one that's typical.
Speaker 1We've played that a few times this year, though you should definitely do it, but I love how.
Speaker 2I'm going to play you a sample of the beginning of it, because the intro is kind of long. It is, but that gave me time to talk over it. So you want to hit it Just that piece. Right here, there's really no talking. I'm sorry for him yelling. I'll say, hey, we're going to kick this dance floor off. We encourage everyone just to stay right where you are. Y'all have a good time. Let's have it. Let's, you know, give it up for our bride and groom, and then it gets the three hits and I look.
Speaker 2Right, you would get that post Right On that. That's sexy. It's 117. Yeah, so you can go a lot of different ways. Yeah, you can Up down whatever Great call, bro. The second wedding I had, they were from West Virginia. Okay, you went straight to John Denver Close. No, this was one you actually mentioned as a song of the summer. So I went with the Morgan Wall and I had some help. Okay, again, they were at their tables. They just done the toast, which I always hate too.
Speaker 1When they ended on the toast and then say all right, dj, you're trying to kick it off.
Advice to Younger DJ Self
Speaker 2Somebody's crying right in the corner and yeah, I don't, and the thing is I never know which way they're gonna go on the toast. So then that intro as well is kind of a good beginning yeah so you want to hit that one.
Speaker 2So it gives me time to talk over this as well. There's not like any words coming on for about 15 seconds and then you can invite everybody out After you play that first, maybe three or four seconds, then I can start talking and then the verse kicks in. So I think that's another one that worked really well, that's great dude. I posted this clip on my Instagram recently of like filling the dance floor without me saying a word. Oh, yes, all that.
Speaker 1So this is, I'll be around by the spinners hey, good job on posting content. Every day, every day You're going there every day, now, every day. Look at you, brian B, for a month. For a month, I'm going to see what happens. Follow this guy on Instagram. What is it? Again, I'm trying.
Speaker 2So this is. I'll Be Around Meanwhile I'm trying to quit.
Speaker 1I'll Be Around, oh, the Spinners, the Spinners.
Speaker 2Great song. This is the Lax Re-edit, which has a little bit of a house feel. Right here, it's just enough. You can open the vision I've opened with it and you'll see it on my Instagram. I talk about how you can open a dance floor without saying a word. It plays the original, then it goes into this kind of where it's got like the bongos on it and the congas and different things, where I can then go into a house if I wanted to or whatever Packed the dance floor. I love that.
Speaker 1Great song.
Speaker 2Isn't one of those ones that people use.
Speaker 1Send me that, send me that, send me that.
Speaker 2Got a couple more here this is artist, a band from England that did a cover of Get Down On it. You wouldn't even really be able to tell why. Wouldn't you just use Cooling Again, because the drums aren't as strong? What if you had a re-drum? Maybe?
Speaker 1I have a couple this has. Do you want me to send you a song man, Every once in a while?
Speaker 2Yeah, send it to me. So this is Get Down On it. You can tell the drums are a. See, it sounds a little bit more modern with the beat it does, but it sounds like Cool in the Gang. That part is interesting. How did you do that, I don't know? Randomly years ago. Actually, there's a rap in the middle of it that I cut. Oh Jesus.
Speaker 1I hate a random rapper Right. Well, and they did that in Europe for some reason for a while, like all these English people were doing these covers and I'm like why are you guys adding the rap?
Speaker 2Totally.
Speaker 1Like shut the fuck up, who is this guy? You know what I mean? It was always like some buff white guy yeah.
Speaker 2Leave it alone, yeah.
Speaker 1So this one would be a little bit more modern-esque, and it was always sorry, it was always like the 128 sounds like real mccoy yeah like terrible, terrible.
Speaker 2So that's why I had to cut it out, right, this isn't making sense so this is a little edgy for opening the dance floor, but I've had great success with it for crowds that are a little bit younger. Okay, because again, mom and dad are now in their 40s, which which is like, don't get me started on this yeah. I know Right, so this one has worked for me. Disco Inferno 50 Cent. I love this, so I drop it.
Speaker 1That sounds aggressive.
Speaker 2Nah, nah, hit it. It's again about what? 98, 99 beats per minute. 99 beats per minute, it's melodic enough where it's not so hip hoppy and I only chorus verse, chorus out. So I've got to say the ass, ass, word no. I cut that. But do you?
Speaker 1think. Do you think grandma's like wow, he just opened and like the first line on the on the first song is shake, shake, shake that ass girl.
Speaker 2You don't hear ass. See, I've like, does grandma know that Vicky wants her to shake that ass.
Speaker 1Nah, grandma make you shake that ass, bro, literally like after that second chorus, I'm out. I'm moving on, so I don't stick in the rap long and.
Speaker 2I'm moving into like superstition or something else. Okay, along the same lines.
Speaker 1You know he made a good point though mom's like 40, grandma's like 60, so back in 2008 she was like 40. She still could have very well been listening, right you're gonna lose great grandparents I got you.
Speaker 1I understand if they're still living correct. I will say this I mean my list. I gave you very vanilla, very generic. I could have gone deeper, right, right, Gone more into my history. See what I have played in the past. That would be the majority of it. What I said, I will say with your list, especially songs like that, the 50, or there was another more modern song. I think what it does is establishes a precedence of oh, this guy's not going to be your average wedding DJ and I like that as I'm listening to these songs. It gets you out of being stereotyped right off the get Right. Sometimes people come to me you know whatever, let's say third song, and be like when are we going to throw ass, or whatever.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1And I'm like bro, we're getting there. You know, I got three hours to throw ass.
Speaker 2Like we're getting there. I was bridesmaid was saying hey, the bride wants some shake your ass music.
Speaker 1You know what song I played? I hadn't brought back in a long time Get Silly. Wow, remember that track. I can't remember now the artist Get Silly, it was a dance, yeah.
Speaker 2Went off. I haven't played that. It went crazy Ten years, oh easily. You know I can't remember the last time you pulled that, or she asked for it.
Speaker 1Yeah, ooh, that's. I would have not gone and pulled that, I was just looking.
Speaker 2I'm like oh man, I haven't played that. In a hot minute I think I had like two plays on the play counter. Usually that one doesn't even get played.
Speaker 1Yeah, I was like.
Speaker 2I'm going to show you one more and then we'll move on. This is Cyril, who's been crushing, and this is their cover of Paramore's Still Into you. But I like this because this is going from dinner. You play this and then it has the beat into it so you'll hear it right here. You think people would dance to this. They did. I've had it work once.
Speaker 1I've tried it. It's not a walk in the park to love each other.
Speaker 2It sounds like the original right.
Speaker 1But when our fingers interlock, can't deny can't deny.
Speaker 2And then people start walking out to dance floor.
Speaker 1Cause after all this time I'm still into you Huge sing-along. I should be over all the bars Ooh, filthy right.
Speaker 2Yeah, I love that it's not too aggressive where it's like too housey. It's just got enough of a beat there and it's been working.
Speaker 1I love that. I mean I love Paramore, like I love that song. Send me that, send me that, send me that.
Speaker 2Let's move into the question, okay.
Speaker 1Let's do it.
Speaker 2Brian B here, yes, interrupting yet another stellar podcast episode. But don't worry, okay, let's do. It can grab not only song lists but also exclusive edits of mine Yep, custom tracks. That'll set you apart from every DJ still rinsing the same tired wedding set. Want fresh music suggestions every month? Go to patreoncom. Forward. Slash DJ Brian B official. Again, that's patreoncom. Forward. Slash DJ Brian B official. You'll be the DJ. Everyone's trying to figure out how you keep your sets so fire and planners will start nudging their couples your way. And if that's not a hard enough sell, I don't know what is All right. Back to the episode before. Joe tries to convince us that Sweet Caroline is actually a banger Michael.
Speaker 1Caine Okay, Michael Caine is actually a banger. Michael Caine Okay, Michael Caine. What advice would you give to your younger DJ self If you could go back and do it over again? What things would you do differently and what would you do again? Because it was a total game changer for your career.
Speaker 2Can you answer this in two minutes, in two minutes?
Speaker 1What wouldn't you have done? I would not have given these offices away as, like licensees, I would have owned these other DJ bun, dj companies, that's a new development yeah. Yeah, I would have made a lot of money, but I would have been gone a lot. I think it would have taken a lot of my time.
Speaker 2I think I would have had to go down there you wouldn't have been DJing that much. So these people would managers, not owners, yeah, or pay them a salary general manager payment.
Speaker 1They needed to be a dj, pay them a low salary. They kind of run it. Maybe they recruit, maybe they just kind of manage the shows. But I would have needed to go down there and do the whippas and the nace meetings and the any new offices that come on deck.
Speaker 2Would you do it this way?
Speaker 1I'd still license a man. Yeah, at this age and this point in my career, what would you have have?
Speaker 1done the same. The same man just built this brand, like I have, you know, always hiring. Again, I told you yesterday we were sitting here training new people, always training, always looking for new talent, always marketing, always innovating, always switching up the gear, always trying to change up the sets, always building the culture. I mean I had all 25 djs to the house last night for a cookout, like I think I did a lot right, man, I'm very proud of bun dj company in general. There's not a lot I feel like I really screwed up on you know what I mean.
Speaker 1I feel like I built it slowly at first and then, you know, and then kind of just hit the moon and now I feel like we're just on a plateau, which is fine with me, yeah. And I feel like the number of shows I do a year, which is probably 30 or 40, is right in that sweet spot. I don't have to play every weekend. I can go to the beach when I want to. I don't feel burnt, I don't ever feel dread. I still look forward to it. I still love it.
Speaker 2I feel like I've done a lot right. Yeah, I love that. How about you? I think both are going to be somewhat the same answer. The first one would be trusting my gut. Sometimes I felt like when I was starting off in this industry, I felt like I had to do what was out there to be successful. In other words the cheesy dances, and for people who do it, it's just not me.
Speaker 1It wasn't me. It wasn't true to who I was. You felt like you had to.
Speaker 2I had to, so I like forced it and you know it took me a while to figure it out. That wasn't us, don't do it. Yeah, so the same thing. When I did trust my gut, the thing I would do have done the same was the engage thing for me was a game changer, dude, and everybody was telling me not to do it.
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Speaker 1Right it it it doesn't make sense. You don't need to be there.
Speaker 2You're gonna spend all this money right and I'm like I'm gonna trust my gut and just do it yeah so in both scenarios, trusting your gut, I think, is the underrated skill set that you. You get scared, I mean, I'll admit it, I was like I don't think I can do this when I was building the dj company without following the try and true method, and sometimes you're gonna, you're gonna miss.
Speaker 1But sometimes to be. When you started it, there was not much data out there.
Speaker 2I didn't have a.
Speaker 1YouTube channel Rick Webb didn't have a. Youtube channel. Barr didn't have a YouTube channel. You know you're watching DVDs or reading books from OGs and they're saying, oh, you got to get out there and teach your electric slide if you want to be successful. I get what you're saying. Now it's a different world You've. Now it's a different world. You're you. You've got Instagram and you can see this whole world of private events in any given day just by flipping up.
Speaker 2And I still think you can get sucked into the copy and paste. Oh, man, just because it's all out there, so like still just stay true to who you are and know that that's got weight because it's you, it's authentically you. A hundred percent, man, a hundred percent.
Speaker 1There you. A hundred percent man, a hundred percent. There we go. Great advice, good episode, great episode. Thanks to DJ event planner. They are the CRM of choice, Brian and I only want to use those to run our business and have for probably 15 years, maybe longer, and so if you are having trouble like keeping up with your leads or, you know, giving your clients a portal to be able to plan their event, it's got all that in one DJ event plannercom. We'll see you guys in the next episode. See y'all every Wednesday, peace.
