I love playing at Brea mall. Typically, I show up and play fun music but this mission has specific instructions. This time I was on the 3rd floor not the first one. Using an elevator is not an issue, it just at times takes a little bit longer to setup. I had to make sure it was not too loud since there were vendors there and keep it fun and lively and do some mic work. Mic work was easy. Every 30 minutes we were saying names of people who won baby gear prizes. People were just hanging out shopping and waiting for their name to be called.

Usually on the bottom floor I play a bit more Spanish by the make up area but today I wasn’t really feeling the Spanish vibe so we went old school. I went with a 90s vibe for most of the event but I would bounce around with disco and some 2000s music. Folks were really digging the 90s R&B so I would feed it to them. Big artists were like TLC and Montel Jordan.  When I was really feeling it I went like 45 seconds of a classic song then mixed in another song less than a minute later. We didn’t really play any hip hop today. The only tracks we played were Ice Ice Baby, Treat em right and a little Salt and Pepa.

 Overall it was a good time and people liked the variety of music. Of course I came with my planned playlist but once you start playing you may have to change direction based on the feedback of the room.

Why Booking Your Holiday DJ Early is Essential:

1.         High Demand in December: December is the busiest time of the year for DJs due to the holiday season.  It is by far my busiest month! By booking your DJ early, you increase your chances of securing your top choice before they’re fully booked. This early endeavor helps ensure that your preferred DJ is available for your event, avoiding the stress of last-minute searches and  anxiety.

2.         Avoiding Price Increases: As the holiday season approaches, demand for entertainment services increases, often leading to higher prices. Booking your DJ in advance can help you lock in a better rate and protect you from last-minute price increases.

3.         Customizing Your Event: An early booking provides more time to discuss and plan the specifics of your event with the DJ. This includes selecting the right music, going over special requests, and putting on any themes you have in mind. With plenty of time for preparation, the DJ can customize their performance to match your vision, ensuring a smooth and personalized experience for your guests.

4.         Reduced Stress and Better Planning: Securing your DJ early means one less thing to worry about as the event date approaches. It allows you to focus on other aspects of the party, knowing that entertainment is already handled.

5.         Pick  Black and White Affair to be your Holiday DJ!: We get holiday period!

21-year-old Birthday Party in La Habra (Los Angeles Dj Serving Burbank, Hollywood, Glendale and Brea)

When it comes to doing an old school party then I cannot refuse. Parents wanted freestyle music and an old school vibe for their daughters 21st birthday. They sent me a playlist and I added to their great list. The party was in the back yard and they told me I can set up anywhere. Ideally I would set up next to the dance floor but there was no dance floor. Ideally I would want to be close to power and I got my wish. It would be best to be in the shade but I only had an hour in the direct sunlight. Started out with some old Mexican music while the people were eating. Then we moved over to 80s pop music and threw in some Freestyle music. There was no dancing this night while folks just sat in their chairs while tapping their toes. I still wanted to provide a show but doing a quick mix of their favorite old school jams. We went old school for a while. The folks seemed to be happy with the old school vibe.

 The hosts were very kind and made sure I got some food.  I made sure I had songs lined up so there was no dead air. I had the best bbq I have had in a long time. (https://socalbbq-catering.com)  Its so good that I am having a birthday celebration and we are getting the same folks to cook for my guests. The chicken and ribs were mouth watering and the potatoes and beans were on point.

Nothing beats a party with old school beats and awesome bbq. It was a fun night with a great vibe.

Audio for Graduation in Gilroy and going to a Los Angeles Graduation (Bay Area Dj serving San Jose, Gilroy, and Morgan Hill) (Los Angeles Dj serving Hollywood, Glendale and Burbank)

 We love doing sound for graduations. We find out who our audience is and we prep the playlist. Of course we listen to the must plays and we do play them. Most often time we have free reign in what to play for the audience. Typically, we have an hour before the ceremony to set the mood. We have been doing a high school graduation in graduation for years. We did it before the pandemic then we took a few years off then it was back open for business. They have their function at Christmas Hill Park They have a built in stage so its an easy set up. The majority of the guests are Latinos. So we play Latino music. Most places try to stay safe and play English music. We are the opposite, since we want to create a memorable experience. We want to create a joyous experience for the celebration. We don’t want to play English music that the guests don’t typically listen to.

I was a guest at a nice venue in downtown Los Angeles. Just to rent the venue it runs about 20k. It is a really really nice venue where top musicians play. This was another graduation with 96 percent of the graduates being Latino. I was a guest and not the dj for this event. They played all English music and alternative music. I am pretty sure most of the folks have never heard the music before. The ceremony was a beautiful one but what was missing was music that moved the crowd before the ceremony and at the end. It is so important to have that for the audience. You have to really know the crowd. The crazy thing about the expensive venue was they were given the songs by us and they did not even play it. Expensive does not necessarily mean better in this case.

Recently we did a Socal Graduation party. It was a few minutes from my house so it was exciting to be so close to where I live. It was in Burbank and it had a beautiful view of the city. They provided a fun pop playlist and we were playing to the teen crowd. They had a photo booth for a couple of hours. The catering was in the front of the house but it was the music that kept everyone close by. As a dj you have a debate: One can get down early and proceed the whole night with hits and keep the dance floor going the whole time or you can just wait till later. I always opt to start the party early with the bangers to get folks on the dance floor. It was still daylight so it is risky and then you do not want to use the same song again later in the night. People started dancing early and it went the whole night. Best part of the night was the grownups asked for requests and both grownups and teens were dancing.

 Overall it was a fun party with good pop music and the teens had a lot of energy on the dance floor which is addicting and it makes other folks want to join in the fun. If you are having a grad party for high school or college black and white affair is your go to!

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School Event: Senior Signing Day in Los Angeles (Los Angeles DJ serving Burbank, Hollywood, Brea, Universal City, Valley Village, Santa Clarita, and Glendale)

We need to celebrate students. One of the best ways to put shine on seniors is to acknowledge all those who are going to the next level. The next level can be work force, military, junior college, or university. Students got in their groups and administration announced students and their destination. Students came running through a banner so it had that sports feel to it underneath a formation of balloons. Parents were in the audience and they were excited to see their children at this function.

We did not need much for this function. We just set up two 12-inch self powered speakers hooked up to a Yamaha mixer. We had two microphones with one being a wireless and one being wired. Are two microphones over kill? No way. I like have a hard wired microphone for the fool proof way to ensure a good connection. Wireless microphones do the job but you never know with batteries running out or if the signal isn’t strong so a wired microphone is a must no matter what.

So what kind of music do you play at this function? Being that a high percentage of students are Latin, we went with some festive Latin music. Early I was playing for the parents since they were the first ones there then when the students showed up I made sure to play music that everyone knew. We never want to be too soft or too loud so volumes have to be adjusted on the mixer. Also its good to be next to the mixer to adjust each person who speaks since they speak at different levels.

  Playing for teens is our specialty. I just love the lists that they give me and then I can build a master teen list with all hits that I can bring to the teen event. There is nothing like playing for a sweet 16. I always love the energy the teens bring. I always get excited with the playlist that they bring to the table.  With teen parties you have to give them what they need. Rarely you play the whole song, but rather play a verse or two and then you mix the next song. It does change the energy of the room by playing the quick mix. I like to go with the sing along the last part of the night. I love playing songs everyone loves and sings a long to.

  They had a photo booth and a taco guy. Plus, they had some games for the party folks. They had a ping pong table and foosball. What stood out was the dessert area. It looked pretty and looked just as delicious. Gets you to think about the name sweet 16.

  What makes a good sweet 16? The music choices are important. When its eating time, the do can play songs that are more mellow then when it gets closer to the end of eating time you drive up the energy. No matter what you have to be toe tapping. Again it was a Saturday night so please book your dj early since most events are held on Saturdays.

   It was a surprise party for the birthday boy but I overheard him that he knew it was happening when he was asked about a playlist. But he was super happy on his special day in North Hollywood.  It was a nice neighborhood and folks were very accommodating. They asked me where I wanted to set up and I was like I’m good where ever they have power and preferably not in the sun. They playlist was all Salsa Music. Lot of it was classic salsa. I was told there will be a mix of all races so be free to change things up.  This can be challenging if you do not know how to read the room. Luckily we know how to read the room.  So we went with a Latin theme. We hit it up with Cumbias and Merengue music. The main English music that got them grooving was 90s dance music. Trying to keep it old school. I love parties like this where we can jump around from Latin music to old school English music. Its like you have all these tools to keep the party going.

   The guests were so nice. I got asked multiple times if I needed food or drinks. We ended up going an extra hour. That is the benefit of having a do at your house there is no time limit of how long you can go but the only concern is the neighbors but the key is not to be super loud and be considerate.  It was a fabulous  party in North Hollywood.