Are you planning a corporate holiday event in the San Jose, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Morgan Hill, or Gilroy areas? Last week, we had the privilege of DJing a massive holiday event for Lockheed Martin at the renowned Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose.

The Tech Museum is an incredible venue for any corporate gathering. What makes it stand out is its interactive exhibits, which you can explore while enjoying the festivities. Located across from Christmas in the Park, it’s in the heart of the city, but the museum staff made parking stress-free—an essential perk during the holiday season.

This event was nothing short of spectacular. Since it was a large-scale party, we set up a 6-speaker system on the bottom floor. Impressively, guests on the 3rd level could still hear the speeches and music perfectly. One highlight of the evening was a heartfelt retirement speech followed by Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” – an energetic send-off for a well-deserved farewell.

We played a mix of everything: holiday classics, well-loved hits, and songs everyone could sing and dance to. Compared to last year’s flat, sprawling venue, this year’s dance floor was the perfect size. Guests were up and dancing by 8:30 PM, and the party didn’t slow down until the event wrapped at 11 PM.

If you’re looking to host a corporate holiday party that’s engaging, fun, and perfectly soundtracked, you need the right Bay Area DJ. From intimate gatherings to big celebrations, we’ll set the mood and keep the energy flowing.

Contact us today to make your next San Jose corporate holiday event one to remember! Call Black and White Affair Dj Services.

I was fortunate enough to do a party in the Bay Area recently and it was a good celebration. They just wanted party music. I was told just get Cumbia music and some old school. So I did set up the music but realized so what do they are going to listen to when they are eating. I was scheduled to play for five hours. Usually the first hour or so they will be eating then it is the dancing. I was told the party will be going on before hand and they will be eating before I start. This is my kind of party! More time for some dancing.  They had a speaker connected to a phone and they were playing like slow songs for dinner. I can tell it was not music the party planner selected but it was something the venue put together. And I was right since the phone belonged to someone at the venue. They were going to have a performance at 430 so I was asked to be already set up by that time so I would not be a distraction. I said no problem. I got there around 4 and I was set up by 417. It was an easy set up. The performers asked if I can connect to their phone. It was 430 and I wasn’t supposed to start till 5 but I happily obliged and connected the phone and made the microphone available. They had a Hawaiian performance and they had dancers from all ages get down. They had a few drummers but it was very lively.

  From 5 to 10 we went straight cumbia. We probably did 80 percent cumbia for 5 hours and did some ranchera music. We did a little old school but it was Spanish that got everyone on the dance floor.

  We had a fun event at the middle school. I do love playing in the South County area since I love the energy. As I drove close to the school all these young players were getting ready to play their softball games. This area takes their sports serious so it just made me happy to see the youngsters playing a fun sport.

  I pulled up by the cafeteria\ gym to unload my gear. It was so convenient since I was right by the door. Students were preparing for a play so I could not set up on the stage but I was plenty enough early to not stress about it. The students left the stage and I was able to set up with 20 minutes to spare. A few of the girls wanted to practice the Cupid Shuffle but after that I was playing all pop music before show time. As most Jr. high dances the girls were on one side and the boys were on one side. Everyone was pretty much dancing with their group of friends. I was following the playlist they gave me but students wanted specific songs so they would write them up on a notepad. (Lots of Spanish was requested) If I had it then I would play it and if I did not have it then I would make a note on the notepad. I did take a picture of the notes to see what I would bring next time. School dances are so fun for us to do please contact Black & White Affair to make your party epic.

We did a beautiful back yard wedding in Hollister which had a beatiful view of the country side. We were able to get pages of Country hits and we did mostly country the whole night with some classics thrown in the mix. During cocktail and dinner hour we did lots of country. The biggest requests had to be Morgan Wallet As the night progressed bellies full of food and glasses full of wine., Guest started getting eager for the dance portion of the night. After some emotional speeches, we let it whip with some top 40, classic funky  hits from 70s and 80s, Hits of the night included Too hot by Kool and the Gang ,Cupid shuffle by Cupid, September by Earth Wind and Fire and slow song of the night was  Waiting for a Girl like You by Foreigner. The night kept going and people danced for the last 2 hours that remained at the event non stop, up until the last minute that we had to go! Glad we could be part of such a beautiful night full of fun memories! 

What made it magical was the bride and groom. They made the party happen with their energy and their ability to host a fun party.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival has been around for 41 years. It has been a pretty famous food event in the Bay Area for many years. It was the place to stock up on your Garlic flavored Ice Cream or Garlic dishes. Last year due to Covid, the festival and the rest of the world was shut down. But this year it has manifested to a new event. Years past it has operated at Christmas Hill Park. It is a huge park that could maintain the thousands of visitors. This year it is divided into three locations.

It included a drive by alley at Gilroy Presbyterian Church and a Farm to table dinner at Fortino Winery. And finally the Garlic Festival Golf Classic will be held July 30th. The festival has taken a new look and feel.

I was able to provide music at Fortino Winery. They had a little stage next to the vineyard where the folks were able to eat and listen to old school music. We decided the classics you can not go wrong. I went with 80’s new wave,  then jumped into the 90s. It was a fun atmosphere. My intention was just to play background music but the Gilroy folks wanted to dance and they did. The awesome Fortino staff were so accommodating to their patrons that the folks were happy. It was a good feel good vibe. Grandparents were with their grandchildren and couples were all there. It was a perfect mix.

It was a nice touch to have live music with great food. I was happy to be a part of it. When in doubt in choosing the music you cannot go wrong with going old school.

How to Pick the Best Dj in the San Francisco Bay Area

In the San Francisco Bay, many folks plan all different kinds of events such as private events, weddings, and corporate events. Maybe years ago, you may have had buddies who dabbled in the dj field but you don’t know if they still are in the field. But you are throwing an event and you want a professional so who do you turn to?

Check previous experience

These days everyone loves looking at reviews. Check out the Yelp Reviews and Google Reviews. Take a look at their Facebook Business Page to see if they are doing events currently and if they post consistently.

Talk with them

Ask them how busy they are. A good dj is a busy dj. Yes, there are loads of djs out there but the ones that are working are the ones that are sought out. Communicate with the dj to get a sense of their professionalism. Ask them what is included in their dj package. Does the dj bring their own lights and microphones? How many speakers will they bring to the function?  How is their response time? Does the dj respond quickly or does it take days to email or call back?

Look at their Website

A good dj should have a website that talks about what they do and who they are. Does it look professional?

Listen to their mixes

A dj will have example of their mixes either on their website or a page dedicated to their mixes. You will get the vibe of the kind of music that he plays and style of mixing. Some djs can give out usb’s with their mixes and some can even give out cds.

It is easier to find a Dj that plays English music. If you do find a good Spanish dj make sure you do not lose their number since they are harder to find. Some djs do play Spanish but it is not their strong point. They cannot tell the difference between a banda song or a cumbia. They have the know what type of Spanish music you need for the dinner portion of the night. 

With the newer Spanish music, the one that gets people moving is raggaeton.  Artists like Bad Bunny and J Balvin are filling up the airwaves. 

A good Spanish DJ can put a little of different kinds of Spanish music. They can have a classic merengue song by Elvis Crespo, Suavemente. Then they can eventually throw in a Salsa song by the Salsa Queen Celia Cruz such as La Vida Es Un Carnaval. One of my favorite cumbia artists is La Sonora Dinamita.

It also makes a difference where the guests come from. If the Spanish folks were from Miami then they would want more Salsa. If a lot of the people were from Texas then they would like the artist Selena. It makes a huge difference if the dj knows where the guests come from so they can prepare. 

A favorite for all parties would be the line dance Payaso De Rodeo and No Rompas Mas Mi Pobre Corazon which is a Spanish Version of Billy Ray Cyrus Achy Breaky Heart. 

A lot of the people who appreciate the classic Spanish Music would love Vincente Fernandez, Jenni Rivera, Juan Gabriel and Mark Anthony.

If you are looking for a Latin/ Spanish dj then go to www.bwadj.com or

call 408-768-4904 for your fiesta!

  I did a wedding this past Saturday in Gilroy. Based on the weather predictions, it was suppose to rain all day Saturday. My wedding clients were prepared and ordered a tent to protect against the elements. 

  When I got there, it was not raining so unloading and setting up was not difficult. The tent kept my equipment dry for the most part. It is ideal to keep some towels handy when the event when rain is involved. Electronics and water do not mix. It can be a little stressful when a speaker is getting wet without being dried. 

  The wedding folks were very prepared. They made sure they had other people to help setting up the party and be there for anything. We were provided with towels for the wet dance floor. At the beginning of the event, someone brought another canopy to add to the tent. It would be ideal to bring extra canopies just in case more ground has to be covered during a wedding. 

 For the ceremony, I had a wireless lapel for the officiant and a wireless microphone on a stand to hear the wedding couple to do their vows. I tested all wireless equipment and it sounded perfect. Then finally I put on a wired microphone close by and let everyone know its there just in case. It is always good to be prepared. 

 Although it was raining the whole time, the party was a huge success. Everyone was dancing even though it was raining cats and dogs. By being prepared made it a great as it was. It takes a team to make it happen and knowing who is in charge of what.