They say it never rains in So Cal and the rain gods were letting us have it in California for all that doubt that we had. I was up North in the Bay Area and it was nonstop and it followed me when I went back to Burbank. New Years Eve night it was raining cats and dogs but the show must go on! Initially I was supposed to be playing outside but with the taco guy out there and the rain coming down there was not any room back there. So Inside I went. We had a little space to work with but with some help we repositioned the couch to make sure we had enough space for the speakers.

 The party planner provided the playlist so I had to a lot to work with. It was a fun collection of 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s music. I did add some of the newest hip hop but I stuck with the classics for the night. I do a lot of school events but this party was for folks in their 30s so we went old school. I believe the most recent song I played had to be like 5 years old. I take pride is playing a little bit of everything to satisfy the folks thirst for hits.

  When I got there they were playing 90s alternative music so I continued with that vibe. It is good to pay attention to details like that. Every event is different so it is good to prepare for each event to make it go smooth as possible.

Some New Years parties are well planned out and sometimes they come last minute. Got to make sure you have a location then you have to secure the food.  Then once that is secure than its time to find the dj. What happens if a dj is not available on that busy night?  Then its possible to rent some gear to play your own playlist.

  Some folks do not know where to start? What kind of music would be good to play? It all depends on your guest list. What ages are they? It’s a safe bet to go for pop rap and some dance music. If there is enough time, then get song requests from the guests. If you are using blue tooth for the playlist, then you can skip songs that are killing the energy or not happening for the moment.

Also you can get a app to help you with the countdown. If it’s a DIY party, then you can turn on the TV and you have the countdown do it for you. But If you are going   by your phone you   can turn off the music a minute before midnight. When Midnight strikes then you can cue   up

Auld Lang Syne. You can play it for a short period. Then the next song you play has to be one of the biggest hitters of the day. When I played NYE at clubs I would go with the best song of the year.  Everyone is a celebratory mood so your energy of music has to be high.

It is a big responsibility hosting NYE party. Its best to have a dj do it so as the host you can enjoy the party instead of being worried about being off in the counting.

I love doing retail stores. My only instruction was to play xmas music and some pop music. So its late in the holiday season and a lot of folks are tired of hearing Mariah Carey Christmas songs. Sprinkling some Christmas songs, I would have like 2 to 4 per hour but the rest of my playlist was full of pop music from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. One of the highlights of the night was this lady was dancing and she would encourage other people who were walking by to dance with her. And no she was not one of my employees but I did love her energy. I did give out 4 of my business cards and I ran out so that a good thing. I looked into getting a digital business card so all my info can be shared with a tap of a card.

I was able to pack up pretty quickly then headed up to Reseda for a school holiday party. Children were not present so the adults were allowed to play. It was a private party at a residence. We were outside so it was a bit cold but the party goers did not feel it since they were too busy dancing. I can honestly so we covered a wide array of music. We played a lot of fun 80s, then moved up to 90s pop then even went to 90s house which I never play but it was appreciated. Later we covered 2010s jams like Calvin Harris and Pitbull. We also did a lot of Spanish music to keep the fun going.  

Bloomingdales at Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles Dj serving Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena)

It is holiday season and it is time to dj for some retail stores. I was in Sherman Oaks in Bloomindales and they were very nice. They even helped my carry my heavy gear into the store. Usually my retail store is pop heavy but there was a change. We were adding Christmas songs into the mix. There are so many Christmas songs so the question is what works with the crowd. With so much to choose for, what would be the go tos? We can go with the originals, or the covers or we do with the updated remixes with the orginal vocals but with a different beat.

I started off with the Christmas songs. I got the best reactions from the original songs. These are the songs people used to hear when they were children. The second best reactions were the covers that were similar to the original song. But I threw in a few remixes but just a few. Then I went back to pop feel good music.

Usually I am in these spaces for 4 to 5 hours. It is the quickest 4 to 5 hours that I have. I am playing fun music and try to get as much mixing as I can. If the people are loving the song then I play it longer. But if everyone is loving the vibe then I continue it while playing a minute a song. I try to go with music that everyone knows. I just feel like if you are playing at a public place you should try to appease the masses.

I did this event and I was given two songs to play and with two genres not to play: No gangster rap and no woman bashing songs. That is the first time I had those two requirements. Usually at a school you have to play songs with no profanity and with good messages. So a lot of the newer music has content that maybe questionable. When in doubt, then its best to go old school. When the event started I went with Motown to set the mood. Motown gets people moving and in a festive mood. Then during the dinner portion we went with some classic slow songs and r&b so people could talk at regular levels and not have to speak too loud over the music.

During the night, they had to make many announcements and my microphone was ready to go. It did make it hard during the dance set since it is all about momentum but people stayed on the dance-floor. The host was running the event so I let him run the event. I would have loved to mix the hour and half music set non stop but there had to be announcements. But after each announcement I would have to make sure I had sure jam in the batter box to lead with.

Once again it was the Latin music that got everyone on the floor. I prepped for 70s and 80s and some 90s but going with cumbias was the way to go.

The end of the year is a stressful time. Holiday parties can either add to or distract from these stressors. For this reason, thought and consideration should go into holiday party ideas for work.

Corporate holiday parties are often considered the most dreadful part of the holiday season. But a well-organized corporate party can change that sentiment and make your colleagues yearn for next year's party.

If that sounds appealing to you, consider this list of corporate holiday party ideas.

Organize a Restorative Team Wellness Session

After spending the year working, a restorative wellness session may be what employees need to end the year on a high note.

A holistic yoga or meditation session can help relieve 12 months of pent-up stress. If you're searching for holiday corporate party ideas, renting a venue and hiring a yogi is all you need to have a relaxing party in Los Angeles or Burbank for a company of fewer than 50 employees.

Host a Masquerade Ball

If you want a corporate holiday party your entire company can enjoy, a masquerade party is a perfect solution. Masquerade balls are a black tie event where attendees attempt to hide their identities. They're a classic way to end the year, especially for entertainment companies.

Typically, a company would throw this holiday party for clients and the executive suite to encourage networking.

But networking can be just as effective among colleagues as it improves collaboration.

To achieve a memorable masquerade ball, you should hire a Los Angeles or Burbank DJ that understands the assignment — classy and prestigious — and curates a playlist that elevates the event.

Rent a Luxury Mansion for a Destination Getaway

If you're searching for small company holiday party ideas, a destination getaway to the Bay Area is the perfect way to spoil your staff or an executive suite.

Renting a mansion for the weekend ensures every team member has privacy while allowing you to have an event-filled weekend where you can do one or more of the corporate holiday party ideas on this list.

Visit a Winery

Burbank has a host of wineries and breweries you can visit to host a wine or beer tasting. Once again, this works best for smaller companies hoping to achieve an intimate event where colleagues can interact freely outside the confines of the office.

Throw an End-of-Year Bash

Nothing ends off the year like a bash. You can decide to throw a themed affair like a masquerade or 70s party or opt for a simple revel with a Los Angeles DJ leading the vibe of the bash. In the case of the latter, it works best if you have a younger company with employees looking to dress up for any occasion.

When hosting a corporate holiday party that needs a DJ, don't give the role to so-and-so from HR. If you do, the event will be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Instead, consider BWADJ.com for your DJ needs. You'll get an expertly curated playlist that suits the theme of your party and elevates the atmosphere.

  There is something special when you can dj at a retail store. It just adds a party vibe. People are singing the lyrics of fun songs and a new song just builds up on top of the other cool song.

 What do you play at a retail store? It all depends on the clientele. You can play some cool house songs that no one really knows or dive into the classics that everyone knows and the latter is what I strive for.

The store is called the Halloween Store and it is open during the Halloween Season. You can find customes and decorations here. They have plenty for all ages. But once the season is over it becomes a party venue, Cielito Lindo. It is a nice spot to hold a social function.

Flash Cat media was in the house taking dynamite photos. They also do cool music videos. Aaron is a master of his craft! I was very happy with his awesome photos.

It is crazy that 1982 didn’t seem like that long ago. I do remember the 80s. It has some of the best music of all time. There is so much to choose from. When doing a reunion, you have to see what year the group graduated and you can search the years. So for 1982 we were looking at 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983. Its good to capture a year before they entered high school and a year after high school. I will look for the hits of the year. One of the theories I always come across is the late 70s folks were labeled two types: One type was the rockers and the other type was the disco folks. Rarely they were both it was one or the other.

Our contact gave us a list which I will post right now and it was pretty much all rock based. These songs that were included was Boston, Queen, Reo Speed Wagon, Elton John, Journey, Jackson Brown, Eagles, Simon and Garfunkel, Lynard Skynard, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Tom Petty, Billy Joel, The Cars, Foreigner, Styx, Van Halen, and Supertramp.

Its always good to prepare. We had all the rock music and in our back pocket we had the disco just in case. And it was good that we were prepared with disco since most of the folks wanted it at the event.