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.

 We have done this holiday party for 3 years. Originally we did a party the party in San Jose which was a good time. Then the following year they wanted me to do it in Napa. It was a little far for me but since they really knew how to throw a party then I did that party too.  The pandemic hit and they have not had any holiday parties and then we signed up to do their holiday event in San Ramon. I can tell that this company is a good one to work for. The employees became game show players. They would give out oodles of prizes. It did remind me of Oprah when she says you win a prize and you win a prize. They would give out super nice prizes such as ipads and tvs. Once all the games are done then it was time for the dance floor to fill up. They liked a variety of all kinds of music and keep the festive vibe the whole night.

Two nights later we were playing in Cupertino for a holiday party for a hotel. We were all industry folks since we were doing the function on a Monday. Friday and Saturday are always parties for the regular folks but industry folks will have their events on an off night. But if you came to see the party then you would not have thought it was a Monday night. Industry folks really know how to let loose.

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.

In the bay, we do many holiday parties. In these parties they serve food then do some games then the dancing begins. This past Saturday we were in Capital Club. It’s a beautiful venue in the heart of downtown San Jose. It is a unique venue that stays on the 17th floor. One of the bonuses, once you need to take a break from dancing is to go to the balcony area to see the views outside. The corporate event was a nice event that provided a great playlist. They asked for the classic Christmas songs and a little bit of everything else. We like getting list like that so we can touch a little bit of everything like 70s, 80s, 90s and the 2000s. It’s a beautiful thing to have that wide array to choose from and you just have to read the crowd.

A few days later we were back at it again at the Double Tree Hotel. This event was a bigger event since the guest list was at 300 people. We made sure we brought our normal set up and the big boy speakers. We did have a little less guidance with the playlist. They wanted Christmas music then some the the popular dance music with some Spanish mixed in. Again it was another opportunity to read the crowd and give folks what they wanted. We were also open to take instant requests. Its all about making the folks happy at their events.

One of our favorite spots to eat is Chick Fila and this is the second time we did the company party. Last year it was Newark and this year it was in Fremont Mariott. So what happens at these events?

 We did a gift wrapping game, musical chairs, dance, xmas bingo, raffles, more dancing and some speeches and then give out company swag. These games you try to get as many people involved. We always connect a few microphones so you can have multiple hosts and you have the music ready to go with the flip of a switch. These xmas events are all about celebrating the hard work that goes through the long year and it gives the employees something to look forward to. Corporate events are a good way to build company culture and make employees happy. I can tell that management truly appreciates their employees and truly want to celebrate them. We do like doing parties for other folks in the industry since they are done on the off days. The store is closed on Sundays so there is no excuse to not to go.

I do like setting up for the same company events since you know what they like already and it makes it easy to set up their playlist. Last year we incorporated a lot of Spanish hits and this year we made sure they were lined up with some hot Spanish tracks. Its not all Spanish tracks but you always got to have a little of Christmas songs handy but not all xmas events call for Christmas songs. Some people just want to have party songs which is fine for us.

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.

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At this time, it is nearing the mark of quarter 4. Holiday parties could add or decrease the stress of the holiday season. For this reason, here are some holiday party ideas for work for the bay area.

  Setting up a corporate party can seem like a second job and be dreadful if it is not organized. But a holiday party that is well organized can be bash for your staff can look forward to every year.

Set Up a Restorative Wellness Session

After putting in a hard year’s efforts, this is what the doctor ordered to recharge the batteries and end on a positive note.

Why not have a holistic yoga or meditation session to help alleviate the year long stress. If space is needed there are many spaces that can be rented. It would need to be indoors since it would be cold outside if you are doing yoga but then again if meditation is taking place then the Bay Area has plenty of outside spaces that are available. All you need is hiring a yogi to have a memorable relaxing event in the San Jose or Sunnyvale area if your company is not too big.

Why Not Have a Masquerade Ball?

A very fun event to throw is a masquerade ball that the whole company can partake in. These balls are black tie events that folks dress up nice but they keep their faces covered so no one knows who they are. This will be a company community building event.

  To max out of this Masquerade Ball then a Bay Area Dj that fits the atmosphere of class that can create a playlist that fits the mood that can make the event to be epic.

Duh! Hit Up a Winery!

Napa is a few hours away but if you want to keep it local then go down to Morgan Hill or Gilroy. Someplace like Fortino Winery would be an excellent place to get some tasty wine and to have a great party. Your folks won’t be trapped by the company walls and can be truly free.

End the year with a Bash!

Nothing can be better than ending the year with an epic party. As the coordinator, you can select what kind of theme you want to have with your Bay Area dj running the atmosphere.

When doing a holiday event that requires a dj, do not just pick any Dj. The dj is the one who sets the mood for the night. Make sure you select a dj who will strive to make the night memorable. Call Black and White Affair DJ services to make your party one to remember and makes it stress-free for everyone!