Monthly Archives: July 2016
DJ Brian B Official August 2016 | The Schedule
The DJ Brian B Official August 2016 schedule is inked!
In all of my regular markets, August is generally too hot for outdoor events. So it’s corporate event season indoors until the end of the month.
On tap this month, I start with the Promo Only Summer Sessions, an industry conference for mixshow radio DJs. It gives us a glimpse of some of the upcoming musical acts soon to break in radio. Cary Vance and the folks at Promo Only Promotions do a fantastic job with this one.
Then it’s the DJ Expo near the AC boardwalk which is geared for the private event and club DJs. I’ve been attending that show since 1997 – 19 years! It was one of my first industry shows I ever went to. This year is special because I’ll actually be speaking for the first time. I’ve put a ton of time into my presentation which I’ve titled “The Client Experience Matters”. It was important to me to put my hat in the ring as a presenter and give back to the industry that has done so much for me.
I get back to New York and will be volunteering for The Birthday Party Project. Last month was an incredible experience and I’m looking forward to increasing my presence at as many of these as I can. If you’re in NYC, join me!
I conclude the month with the Giles Wedding at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Sandestin, FL. The bride and I have been going back and forth on things for a few weeks now and I’m really looking forward to this luxury wedding. The B-Boy Productions, Inc. crew will be handling the majority of the event and I will be unveiling my latest DJ set-up. So pumped to show it off.
Cold Water by Major Lazer and Justin Bieber
The late Summer music hit entries keep coming – Cold Water by Major Lazer and Justin Bieber won’t have as mass of an appeal as the Greenlight track I posted earlier this morning. However, this will be a club track staple. With some remixes already coming out and more sure to come, it could last well into the Fall.
It’s got that moombahton sound that is huge right now. Justin lends his smooth vocals to the signature Major Lazer sound that has made him so popular over the last two years. For both the club and private event world, it definitely is an early set track as far as programming is concerned. Here’s a quick 30 second preview. #musicmonday
Work (Lost Kings Remix) by Rihanna
I know “Work” is not as hot as it once was in the Spring but the Lost Kings Remix gives this Rihanna track new life. It will be included on my Summer 16 mixtape coming out soon.
I think what makes this remix stand out is the chorus. It has a thicker drum beat, the pitched down vocal in places and the heavy synths takes the pre-chorus energy to a new level. It still stays true to the original and doesn’t veer too much from it. You can play this in a dance set pretty much anywhere – early, a middle of the night transition or late night. Here’s a 30 second preview. #musicmonday
Greenlight by Pitbull, FloRida and Lunchmoney Lewis
Just when you though the summer hits were finished, we’ve got a late entry with Greenlight by Pitbull, FloRida and Lunchmoney Lewis. This track will be big.
Greenlight has a groovin’ bassline that will keep dance floors packed, a catchy hook and star power. Pretty much anything Pitbull touches is going to be a radio staple. Greenlight is no exception. It’s one of those rare radio tracks that doesn’t even need a remix. It’s good as is for both private events, radio and club use. Let me know if you agree. #musicmonday
First Dance Perfection | Rosemary Beach Weddings
This image is First Dance Perfection. Rosemary Beach Weddings are some of my favorites. This was from a wedding I did this past Spring on the Western Lawn. Destination weddings – there is just something about them that makes them feel so special and different from your local wedding.
This was an intimate wedding and the bride/groom were so captivating. I always encourage my clients to invest in our production style lighting. It really makes the pictures pop not to mention the dance floor experience so much better once we get into the party. Fantastic capture by Lauren Kinsey. Looking forward to getting back out there in the Fall.
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The Birthday Party Project | Joy Changes Lives
About a month ago, I was introduced to The Birthday Party Project. Their mission is to bring joy to homeless children through the magic of birthdays. Every month, they put together a themed birthday celebration. All of the kids are invited to the party and those that have a birthday that specific month get a few special gifts. This is such a big deal because 75% of homeless children never get a chance to experience a birthday party. This non-profit has been around just 15 months and has been expanding like crazy. They’ve produced over 500 parties in that time frame.
I’ve been looking for a charity to partner with within the event space. Although I’ve done everything from cancer walks to galas to animal causes, I never felt a true connection to any of them. Being a part of a party though is right in my wheelhouse. I do it just about every weekend so it makes for a perfect fit. Seeing industry powerhouses Ed Libby & Co. Events and Ceci New York made it a no brainer. Now, when you book me, 5% of my booking fee will go towards this charity unless you specify a qualified 501(c)3 that you have a passion for.
Last night, I had an opportunity to volunteer at my first party in NYC. Along with Win NYC, the NYC based partner agency for the Birthday Project, it was an incredible experience. To see the joy on these kids’ faces when we arrived and sense their anticipation of a party was very rewarding. One boy commented to me, “I’ve been waiting for this all month.” I’m looking forward to sharing this project with my fellow DJ community and seeing others, like me, support such a phenomenal cause. Here’s a quick picture from the party. #joychangeslives
L Marie Events | Hamptons and North Fork Weddings
Today I got an opportunity to meet up with Lisa Blinn from L Marie Events. She has an unbelievable zest for life. You feel it the minute you meet her. I met her a few years ago at an ABC State Conference where I was on a panel. She was one of the major players in putting it together and her attention to detail and passion for putting on a quality event was on full display.
I made the hour or so trek from Manhattan on the LIRR to her offices located in Locust Valley. What an awesome town and a great centralized location for her to make it out to her client’s events that are primarily happening in the Hamptons and North Fork. She shares the space with John Goolsby of Godfather Films.
Lisa has been planning weddings and events for 9 years. She is just as passionate today as she was the day she started. One of the things that I took away from our meeting is that she desires to see the vendors she works with as one big team that has a goal to make a client’s day memorable. I love to see that kind of attitude from a planner. They truly drive the event and that selfless thought process is infectious and makes working an event easy.
If you’re looking for a wedding planner in the Long Island area, be sure to check out L Marie Events. Her boutique service is truly one-of-a-kind. Thanks Lisa for brightening my day! See you soon.
Starships One More Time Wordplay Mix
Here’s a classic one – “Starships One More Time” is what I call this wordplay mix. Instead of just a word, it’s a whole phrase. I use this mix when it calls for it and goes over well every time. The key is to place it in the right spot. Obviously the Daft Punk track, “One More Time” is pretty iconic. It’s a dance track that will be around for quite a while. Even an older crowd that may not be able to place the title can sing along with it because it’s very repetitive. The Nicki Minaj song “Starships” is definitely a recurrent track (meaning, it’s not quite a classic yet but still can be considered “popular”, especially in the private event world).
The key to this mix is setting what I call “bookmarks” (the technical DJ term is “Hot Cues”) with each track. There’s a spot in the Nicki Minaj song where she says “one more time” without music. This works great because I can jump to that spot whenever it feels right to mix out of any chorus. Similarly, with the Daft Punk tune, I bookmarked the acapella portion of the phrase and then jump to where the beat kicks in rather quickly. It’s an easy but an effective mix.
Let me know what you think of this by commenting on my YouTube video.
This Girl by Kungs vs Cookin’ on 3 Burners
This is MY song of the summer – This Girl by Kungs vs Cookin’ on 3 Burners. It’s got such a summer feel. That tropical house sound that is really “in” right now coupled with that opening guitar riff and those sultry vocals makes this a fantastic song. It is one of those underground tracks that may not see much mainstream radio airplay but that you’ll hear often from live event DJs. For me, this is definitely an early set type track. It could work for a cocktail hour, a pool party, or an early club dance starter. It’s a rare one that doesn’t need a remix. It’s good “as is”. If you’re at any of my upcoming shows, you’ll definitely hear it in the mix. I’ve put together an extended preview below. #musicmonday
All I Do All The Way Up | Wordplay Wednesday
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share a few of my go to tracks in a series I’m calling Wordplay Wednesday. Wordplay is one of the many ways I like to segue between songs as a DJ in lieu of using effects (an echo, filter, etc.) or straight mixing. It gives you the some variety as a music mixer and shows that you are thinking outside of just tempo of the song and genre when you’re mixing – you’re thinking through lyrical content as well. Speaking of genres, this actually is a fantastic way to switch between genres.
This definitely takes some prep ahead of time. Not only do you need to think through songs that have similar words but in some cases, you may need to do some pre-production. In this particular example, I took the acapella of “All I Do Is Win” and added that the line ‘everybody’s hands go up’ at the end for a custom edit. Why, you ask?
It would sound weird mixing two “off key” songs musically together. By using the acapella, it’s not noticeable. Also, you can play with the timing a little easier as well by “snapping” (DJ term means playing that part of the song over and over) that phrase in time with the new song’s tempo. There are a lot of premixes with things like this but I like doing it live. Not every guest will make the wordplay connection, but you can always tell which ones do by the “oooh” you hear from them when it happens.
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