Holiday playlists

Whew! I'm not so sure there's any "not busy" time of year! Having said that, however, I've had enough of a lull in activities during the past week or so that I've been able to get some back-burner projects tended to.

Specifically, I've been rounding up all of the holiday music in my collection and gathering it under one "roof" in my laptop (I should say "roofs", since each holiday is getting it's own umbrella). The "Genius" feature in i-Tunes has been helpful, as have been the copious notes I've kept over the years. Now I can finally get rid of those scattered papers! Songs pertaining to St. Patrick's Day and Easter took no time at all to organize, but some of the major holidays took awhile longer.

What this means is that I finally have to look in only one place to see all of the music I have which pertains to a given holiday - for example, the 3 Christmas songs from the "Love Actually" soundtrack or the 1 Christmas song by Queen or The Eagles are all together now, ready for quick reference and play-ability at the next event.

So far, I've completed Halloween (a bit after the fact, but I've discovered I have plenty of music for more than 4 hours with no repeats!), Christmas (well over 300 songs!) and New Year's Eve (alot more than you'd expect, especially when you dust off old Timbuk 3 hits!). When I get my next scheduling lull, I'll do the same for patriotic and Summer songs.

The latest...

Just did another wedding reception yesterday; this one was held at "Bosco's Bones and Brew" in Sunol. Second floor. Ouch. Had I known about that ahead of time, I might have asked for a larger stipend. As it was, I should have at least allowed for more time to go up and down those stairs, because I wasn't able to set up my lights! Oh well.

Bosco's was named in honor of a dog back in the 80s who made his way onto the local ballot for Mayor of Sunol, and actually got quite a few votes! Those wacky small town folk.

Now our thoughts can turn to the holiday season. I've got a case of CDs devoted solely to Christmas and New Year's Eve music, and not all of it is the stuff you'll hear at "the other guy's" holiday party (i.e., Jingle Bell Rock...). Specifically, I've got a sweet opening right now for the evening of Friday, December 18. Somebody help me fill it!

"Come As You Were (In High School)" Party

What a blast! The 80s music was as big as the hair! The birthday girl in Alamo was turning 40, and seemingly invited all of her high school friends, plus the neighbors out to celebrate. Not sure why so many critics revile this era (maybe it was more for the fashion than for the music?), but the guests and I sure had fun with the "late 70s-to-mid 90s" songs I had cranked last night (plus a request for "Shout", and a few current dance faves).



I played as much as time would allow, from A-ha to ZZ Top, and most of the greatest hits in-between. What are you waiting for? I'm still the best entertainment deal in town. Give me a call today!

October 10 events

Success! Saturday's "Boutique Blitz" went really well, with hundreds (if not 1000+) shoppers attending. If you weren't there, you missed an opportunity to get clothing and merchandise at tremendously reduced prices from 10 different small retailers. The music I provided was a hit as well!


Later on Saturday, I set up all over again for Kathryn and David's engagement party in Alamo. What a lovely back yard it was - it even had its own elevated putting green! For this event, I was given the unusual musical perameters of "classic rock, hair bands and current hip-hop, but NO oldies, bubble gum or rap". Hmmm. Aside from a touch of Van Halen, Cinderella and Greg Kihn, I mostly stayed with mid-tempo urban jamz and hip-hop up until dancing began after dinner.


Is there a party or celebration in your future? If so, give me a call today!

Boutique Blitz!

Most of the gigs I do are private events, so it's nice occasionally to let you know about something I'll be a part of that the general public can participate in. The "Wine and Music" festival of a few weeks ago was a good example.

Well, coming up in a couple of weeks, I'll be providing the music for "Boutique Blitz" at the Veterans' Hall in Danville. Several of the small shop owners along Prospect Ave. and the surrounding community are getting together for one day only, to offer huge discounts on their specialty and designer merchandise! One of the main organizers for this event is Todd Weinberg, owner of the Edge Shop For Men in Danville.

Stop on by between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm and take advantage of the great deals you're going to find (maybe start some Christmas shopping!), and listen to some good music!

Pictures!

The "Music and Wine Festival" in Alamo this past Saturday went well - my son took some pictures of the event. Thanks also to Yellow Wood Coffee and Tea for letting me set up there. We had gotten some rare late summer showers that morning - in fact, I was awakened pretty early by lightning and some thunder. With that fresh in my mind, I started my setlist with "I Can See Clearly Now", "Here Comes The Sun" and "Pocketful Of Sunshine", followed by 4 hours of a great music mix.

There's still a few openings for Fall 2009 events - Oktoberfest, anyone? Halloween party? For any event that could be enhanced by having just the right music, give me a call!

Music Festival in Alamo, CA

I'll be set up at the 27th annual Music and Wine Festival this Saturday (Sept. 12) in Alamo Plaza. This event is fondly referred to by locals as the Alamo Block Party. After you finish your shopping at Safeway, come over to see me at Yellow Wood Coffee and Tea between 2 pm and 6 pm. Lots of other activities will be happening in the vicinity as well, including a rock wall for the kids. Dinner tickets can be purchased at the Alamo Rotary website. Proceeds go toward supporting local schools. So stop by and say hello!

Weddings

I just recently completed back-to-back weddings on the same weekend, which is admittedly not that unusual, but these were just a few hours apart. The first was up at the Heirloom Inn, in Ione, CA (gold country). It's an 1800's-era home that's been turned into a B&B/wedding site. Quite picturesque! I didn't get to use my full range of lights, however, since previous DJs or bands there have blown a fuse in the old wiring! Oh, well. My friend, singer-songwriter Steve Kritzer, is the uncle of the groom - that's how I got the gig. Steve played and sang beautifully for the outdoor evening ceremony. Following that, all the chairs were moved, and that space was transformed into a dance floor! And for the next couple of hours after dinner, I was taking requests and getting people boogeying! Congratulations, Louis and Robyn!

The next day, I attended my 2nd wedding within 15 hours. Luther and Jana got married in a traditional morning service at Messiah Lutheran Church in Danville (Luther's father was the minister!). It was beautiful. Thanks to church members the Stame's for getting me this gig. After everyone went home for a few hours, some guests returned for an evening reception, which I feel went really well. The bride and groom had picked some great music, and I got to round it out with some fun song choices of my own!

Singles Dinner and Dance

I'm doing final preparations for the "Dinner For Six", sponsored by Focus Singles at Cornerstone Fellowship in Livermore. Dinner music from 7-9 pm, followed by dancing from 9 pm to midnight. This flier was mailed to over 1,000 people!

Thanks to Dave Matas and Paul Schaffer for setting this up!

Pool Party and BBQ

You missed it! The annual Diablo West HOA July 4 barbecue was rockin'! Guest ages ranged from 3 to 83, so the music went from Frank Sinatra to Miley Cyrus and everything in between. Patriotic songs, samba, Top 40, country, oldies - and nearly every request was honored! Well, except for maybe that one little girl who kept coming up every 10 minutes... It's one of my favorite gigs of the year, precisely because of the variety. I got a lot of compliments on the great music - hopefully that translates into more gigs!

Capped of the day by taking the kids to see fireworks at San Ramon's Memorial Park. I forgot how cold and windy it gets there in the evening!

How to get my "secret" discount...

Where will I see you this summer? Car show? Wedding reception? Singles' dance? High school reunion? Wherever it is, you can be sure you'll be hearing the biggest hits, with no repeats. Several hundred songs from each era, with no filler. Thousands of songs overall, and all of them "chart" hits! Plus, lots of specialty, novelty and holiday tunes for when the occasion requires.

When you book my services for an event prior to Labor Day, mention that you saw this post and you'll get a $25 discount! That's it!

Spring and Summer

Sorry it's been awhile. My most recent event was a wedding reception, quite a distance from home. I originally agreed to do it because my nephew's wife was going to be in the wedding party. Although that status changed over time, I was still hired as the entertainment. The bonus for going was that I'd get to be with my mom and family on Mother's Day!

Too bad I'm not located near there, because I got several compliments - one groomsman even said I was WAY better that the DJ they had at their own wedding. I got a nice tip, which covered the cost of gas there and back. Oh! I also took a few pictures of my rig set-up, which I wanted to post here.

There's still time to book me for certain dates throughout the rest of Spring and on into Summer. Give me a call today!

mp3 and iPod weddings

I recently viewed a video online from some unlucky couple's wedding. Oh, the wedding itself was beautiful, and it was beautifully filmed - they apparently got the right florist, videographer, etc., but evidently tried to save money when it came to music and announcements at their reception. Oh, it was painful to watch. Guests were not even staying for things like cake cutting, much less the "dancing" that followed.

As is often the case in society, some things or ideas become trendy with little thought to practical implementation. A few years ago, it was the idea of a "sponsored wedding" that somehow everyone would want to donate their services to you in the hopes of getting business from others. Sounds like a good idea, but never really took off because all the vendors realized that a sponsored wedding only generated more requests for sponsored weddings, not more business for them. So people that overspent on some items, counting on the reception being paid for by others, soon were in trouble as their budget was gone and they were still missing major parts of their event program.

Today, the trendy topic is DIY receptions - using an iPod and a rented sound system instead of a professional wedding entertainer, the DJ. This idea is fraught with peril, because a great event is more than simply gear and music. It is the talent that a qualified professional brings to the event that matters most. It is what allows for a smooth flow to the event, with no embarrassing surprises. A professional DJ provides you with confidence that your event will flow smoothly and will be an event that you, your family and guests will never forget, instead of one they would like to.

Top Songs

We have more than enough music for your themed event, with no need for any repeat songs!
All songs are chart hits! All collections are constantly growing! And if you want a specific song that I don't have, I'll be sure to get it in time for your event.

Pop/Jazz standards, Big Band/Swing, etc. ~ over 600 songs (nearly 30 hours!)
50s/60s Oldies and Motown ~ over 700 songs (again, nearly 30 hours!)
70s/Disco/Classic Rock ~ over 850 songs (hours and hours!)
80s and 90s ~ nearly 900 songs (it would take DAYS to listen to them all!)
2000's ~ over 1400 songs and growing as of last count (have you got a week?)

So get out your boogie shoes - with 5 hours' worth of just disco and funk, you might just have to get them re-soled.