Tag Archives: Fun DJ

Snow and Gorgeous Fun Wedding at Highlawn Pavilion

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It was a gorgeous Saturday Night closing out 2012 with a Fun Wedding and a great Bride and Groom. When I had first met with the Bride and Groom, the Bride smiled sheepishly and said, “Michael, I would be so happy if somehow it snowed really big flakes the morning of our Wedding, but not so much that it makes my friends and family not be able to attend our Fun Wedding. I think it would be so beautiful here at The Highlawn Pavilion to have thr grounds covered in snow!”

 

I laughed at the time at what seemed like a peculiar request. On the morning of their Fun Wedding, it snowed huge flakes and she was correct, it looked stunning at The Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange, New Jersey. When I drove in through the twisting road into Eagle Rock Reservation, where Highlawn Pavilion is nestled, I smiled from ear to ear as I approached the lights and snow-drifts. It looked like something out of a magazine. The New York City skyline in the background only added to the magical Winter landscape. I knew we were in for a special night, and I was correct this time.

 Simple and Elegant Fun Weddings are My Favorite

Everything went perfect, as they typically do in well-managed venues like The Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange. Of course, the Bride looked amazing and so did the Groom! I am still a fool when it comes to simple and elegant Weddings. I know it is trendy to go over-the-top with Weddings these days, but for me, simple and elegant Fun Wedding are the my favorite.

 

From their First Dance at Fun Wedding:

Gorgeous Fun Wedding First Dance at Highlawn Pavilion with Rhode Island Wedding DJ

Friends having fun at Fun Wedding:

Man Having Fun Dancing at Gorgeous Fun Wedding at Highlawn Pavilion with Rhode Island Wedding DJ

The Groom getting down with an old friend at Fun Wedding:

Groom and Friend Dancing at Gorgeous Fun Wedding at Highlawn Pavilion

The Bride Partying with Friends and Family too at Fun Wedding:

Bride and Friends Dancing at Gorgeous Fun Wedding at Highlawn Pavilion

The Bride and Groom were not the only romance going on that night at Fun Wedding:

Beautiful Man and Woman Dancing at Gorgeous Fun Wedding at Highlawn Pavilion

And the young couples were not the only ones enjoying the gorgeous Wedding Night at Fun Wedding:

Man and Woman Dancing at Gorgeous Fun Wedding at Highlawn Pavilion

And the partying at the Gorgeous Wedding went till they asked us to shut-down at Fun Wedding:

Dancing at Gorgeous Fun Wedding at Highlawn Pavilion

Finally, the joy and celebration expanded with Friends and Family sharing the gorgeous Fun Wedding Night together:

Friends and Family Dancing at Gorgeous Fun Wedding at Highlawn Pavilion

But they asked for one more song to dance at the gorgeous Fun Wedding, so we honored their request:

Friends and Family Dancing at Gorgeous Fun Wedding at Highlawn Pavilion

What a beautiful and gorgeous Fun Wedding Night!

About Highlawn Pavilion, a Fun Wedding Venue:

Situated at the top of Eagle Rock Reservation, the building today known as Highlawn Pavilion, and the property around it, has a storied past.

“In 1909, an open masonry shelter affixed with a series of arches dubbed “the casino” was built on the crest of the Reservation and to this day serves as the bones of the structure that is Highlawn Pavilion.

The term “casino” refers to an Italian style county dwelling or summer house. As the Reservation became a popular spot where week-enders congregated the Italian term proved to be an accurate description.

Automobile enthusiasts of that period held races up the cobblestone roadway of Eagle Rock Avenue with the finish line in Eagle Rock Park, near where Highlawn is situated today.

After years of neglect, the casino was acquired by the Knowles family whose extensive renovation resulted in the creation of the restaurant known today as Highlawn.”

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Hey DJ: Only Play Good Music

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“Hey DJ, Only Play Good Music!”

I hear this statement all the time. It is actually kind of funny really. My response changes depending on mood, situation, individual and circumstances.  The truth is that there is no such thing as ‘good music’ or ‘bad music’. Music quality generally is a subjective determination. While one person thinks Kenny Chesney is the best, the next may hate Country Music and think he sounds awful. The next guy may be a total fan of The Ramones but someone who thinks Punk Rock is just loud noise will surely not think The Ramones are ‘good music’ would they? The young woman who adores Michael Buble will not necessarily find agreement from listeners of R&B, Rap or Hip Hop would they? Certainly, very few Classical or Baroque Music collectors will run out to buy the new Ke$ha record the day it hits the stores. How many Jazz Musicians do you think find Usher or Rihanna ‘good musicians’? I think you get the point. I won’t bore you any further with continuing this list of potential music genre contradictions. It does not matter what genre or style we are talking about; Disco, Soul, Reggae, Reggaeton, Pop, Oldies, Motown, Classic Rock, House, Trance, Trip Hop, Merengue, Bachata, Soca, Bollywood, African, K-Pop, J-Pop or anything else. Somebody loves it and somebody hates it.

 

So, what is good music?

 

Simple. Good music is music that you like. It rarely has anything to do with quality, technical ability or how well the songs are written. Most of the time it is what you like and nothing more or less. This is not a bad thing or a good thing, just what is. I realize some people may get offended by this but I believe it is true.  Here is an example of an experience I had about a decade ago.

Me and some guys were sitting around talking one day. A guy I had just met shared that he was a guitarist and music was his life. I immediately sat-up wanting to join the conversation, since obviously I love music and it too is a significant part of my life.

“What kind of guitarist are you and what genre do you play” I asked.

“I am a Blues guitarist and I play Blues and Rock Music.”

“Cool. Who are your influences?”

“Eric Clapton is why I became a guitarist at age fifteen and why I still play today.”

“Wow. I too like Eric Clapton. But what specifically inspired you about him that got you to pick-up the guitar?”

“I think he is the best guitarist that ever lived. That is why I started playing guitar.”

“The greatest guitarist that ever lived? That is a bold statement.” I paused before proceeding, “Were you able to play Eric Clapton when you were in high school?’

“Yes, it didn’t take me too long, since I have listened to him from childhood.”

“Did any of your friends play Clapton in high school as well?”

“Yeah, we were all musicians and loved Clapton. We all played his stuff to a T.”

“If all of you could play his stuff to a T in high school, how can he be the greatest guitarist that ever lived?”

“What do you mean?”

“If he was the greatest guitarist that ever lived, no one would be able to play his stuff and certainly not a bunch of high school students. Right?”

“I never thought about it that way.” He thought for a second, “Humm. I guess that makes sense.”

 

Our conversation went on for a while longer with others joining in and adding their two cents. Again, I think you get the point. I think this is a perfect illustration of musical tastes are predominantly subjective and that is fine. The problem arises when people tell other people their musical taste is “good” or “bad” since so few of us are trained enough in music to know the difference between the ultra-talented and those who can hold a note and play basic chords. Again, this is totally fine. There is nothing wrong with having your own taste in music or any form of artistic expression for that matter. We all need to respect each others musical taste just like every thing else. There is plenty of music I love that is just fun, with little musical skill or talent. Fun music has its place and is an art form of its own and needed. There is also lots of dance music I enjoy just to dance to that I would never listen to at home or in the car. Does that make it ‘bad music’?

What Is Good Music?

I invite you to hesitate for a moment before you yell at the professional DJ at a Wedding, Party or Event, “Hey DJ, play some good music for a change”. It is possible he is playing ‘good music’, just not what you think is ‘good music’. In fact, it may even be that eighty percent of the people at the Wedding or Party love the music he or she are playing already. In addition, it is also possible that they too do not like the music they are playing and just doing an excellent job as a professional DJ of meeting the needs of the Bride, Groom or Party Planner that hired them. Generally speaking, only DJs under the age of twenty-five or twenty-seven play music they like exclusively. Most good, professional adult DJs play music that they are hired to play, not what they want to hear. I listen to the music I like on the way to the Wedding, Party or Event, on my way home or when I get home. Your money is not for me to hear my music  at your event, but your music at your event. This is one of the primary differences between a good professional DJ, and an amateur DJ who is doing it just for fun, popularity, sex or to be cool.

Do you agree that musical taste is mostly subjective? Is there something that qualifies as ‘good music’ regardless of the listener’s personal taste?

Beautiful Fun Women Dancing to Good Music with Rhode Island Wedding DJ

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Paul McCartney at 12.12.12 Rocks This DJ

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It was such a treat to see Sir Paul McCartney onstage at the 12.12.12 Benefit Concert for Hurricane Sandy! Of course, the whole line-up was great to see from Bruce Springsteen to The Who, Roger Waters and The Rolling Stones to Kanye West and Alicia Keys and Bill Joel.  Most of the performers looked old, well, because they are old. I am not sure why I give a pass to Paul McCartney and not as much the rest of the Classic Rockers who made the trip from near and far to support us here in the New Jersey, New York and Long Island area hit by Hurricane Sandy. There is something about Paul McCartney that is different, I felt it as a kid and still do today. Paul McCartney has that ‘thing’ that few people posses to the degree he does. It also might have something to do with this past Saturday Night being the memorial of John Lennon’s death, which hit me harder this year than most.

 

Paul McCartney’s set began with “Helter Skelter” that somehow seemed very appropriate. “Let Me Roll It” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five”. It was fun to hear this song played with such energy! The video is below.

Paul McCartney Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five Music Video

Paul McCartney  invited Diana Krall onstage for “My Valentine”. There was also a heartfelt dedication to the victims of Sandy and rendition of “Blackbird”.  Members of the band Nirvana joined Paul McCartney for a song. Paul McCartney then played “I’ve Got A Feeling” and “Live and Let Die”.

Fifty-one years ago Paul McCartney & The Beatles signed with Brian Epstein!

Paul McCartney and Beatles Icon with Rhode Island Rock DJ

I enjoyed many of the performers but Paul McCartney’s set moved me the most. I also was inspired by Bill Joel’s “Miami 2017” and Kanye West’s “Golddigger”. The only negative perspective I would add is that Alicia Keys was the sole female musical performer. She did a great job but would have liked to had more female musicians represented. It was a great night for an excellent cause. Any professional DJ would be thrilled to support this benefit if they live in the area or anywhere.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

ZZ Top Legs

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ZZ Top is a unique Rock Band that has strangely had three ‘separate” careers as a group. There were the early years as a touring Texas blues and boogie band that had success in the Rock genre nationally. Then they had massive success as a pop band in the late 70’s and 80’s with hits like ZZ Top Legs and finally returning back to their roots again later. Their mainstream success was so fast and unexpected it surprised the music industry at the time. I listened to ZZ Top from the early days and when they changed their style and became pop stars, I had mixed feelings but loved playing their songs as a professional DJ, especially ZZ Top Legs!

Beautiful Woman Dancing at Wedding ZZ Top Legs with Rhode Island DJ

“By the mid-1970s, they were among the most popular touring acts in the United States and broke various concert attendance feats. After years of touring, the band went on a two-year break in 1977, which resulted in Gibbons and Hill growing chest-length beards.

Although they returned in 1979 and the band signed a new deal with Warner Bros Records (taking the rights to their London recordings with them), it was not until the band released 1983’s Eliminator that they reached a new height in popularity, selling over 10 million copies. Throughout the late 1980s, the band made several hits and won several awards for music videos like “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man“. After over 40 years of performing with the same members, the band continues to tour and record music.”

 ZZ Top Legs Music Video

http://youtu.be/eCcdjGUFnMY

Their videos in the 80’s were fun, sexy and a demonstration of how music videos were shaping the music industry. The trio of hits, ZZ Top Legs, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Gimme All Your Lovin” all utilized the red car, the three women, synthesized beats and the band members as ‘angels’ in the videos that commanded major success internationally. The guys were as popular for their beards as their music.

ZZ Top Legs Rankings

  • ZZ Top Legs is listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
  • In 1999, “MTV: 100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made” included “Gimme All Your Lovin'” at #43.
  • In 2000, ranked No.44 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists.”
  • In 2001, “VH1: 100 Greatest Videos” included “Legs” at #96.
  • In 2003, Rolling Stone’s The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time included Tres Hombres at No.498 and Eliminator at #396.
  • In 2004, ranked No.292 on the “Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years” chart.
  • In 2008, Rolling Stone ranked “La Grange” at No.74 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.
  • In 2009, “VH1’s 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs” ranked “Tush” at #67.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

DJ Has A Great Time

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Saturday Night was the 30th Anniversary of Barefoot Boogie at Insight Meditation Center in NYC! It was such a fun night with an incredible energy and feeling of celebration. As the Coordinator of DJs and Teachers for our twice monthly dance events, it was extra special for me personally. When I returned to The USA almost three years ago after living in South Korea and traveling Asia, I discovered Barefoot Boogie as a means for dance and building community here in the New Jersey and New York area, after being away from this region for fifteen years. The Barefoot Boogie has been an essential piece of my life and was a driving force in me returning to being a professional DJ full-time again. I am so grateful for that cold, snowy January Night when I first walked in the doors to the Insight Center and heard the flowing music in the background. I felt home for the first time since landing on American soil.

 

We danced, sang, moved and grooved to fun music and special events we had planned. We did this really fun dance that the DJ played a short clip of a song form each of the thirty years and the person who was wearing the bib-like shirt that we made with the year corresponding to the song, did a brief solo dance and then gave way to the next dancer and subsequent year. We had two children present who also picked a year to dance solo.

 Barefoot Boogie celebrates 30 Years with Three DJs

I was the DJ for the last set and played some really open and expansive music, since the two earlier DJs played mostly popular old and new songs. I felt like I needed to offer another alternative to balance things out, since we are a very diverse and alternative community of freestyle dancers. This is one of the more unusual songs I played for the first time at a gig Saturday Night. Music likes this is not something I typically get to play at Weddings, Parties and Events and the Barefoot Boogie is a great place for me to experiment as a professional DJ.

What do you think of this tune for dancing or listening?

Creative DJ at Barefoot Boogie NYC

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Professional DJ and Trivia Host

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I am fortunate to have the opportunity to utilize my skills and talents in many facets these days. It used to be a good DJ either worked in clubs or Weddings, Parties and Events and that was it. Today, a good professional DJ can spread our wings and perform as Trivia Hosts, MCs, Lounges, Bars and anywhere someone with a good voice on the microphone, a diverse and exceptional musical collection and knowledge and skills to work a crowd can be hired and provide entertainment.

triv·i·a [triv-ee-uh] plural noun – matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities. Trivia Host

My current schedule includes two nights as Trivia Hosting on Tuesday Nights at O’Reilly’s Pub in Newton, NJ and Wednesday Nights at Applebees in Hackettstown, NJ. I will be adding back the third night at Applebees in Hillsborough after the Holidays again. I was skeptical at first about being a Trivia Host but have grown to love the wok and have so much fun. I had no idea that I could turn such a simple act of asking questions into a great way to party and have a good time with friends or family in a positive setting! Of course, on weekends I am performing at what I do best; MC and DJ at Weddings, Parties and Events, which I always look forward to.

Triv·i·a[triv-ee-uh] noun (in Roman religion) Hecate: so called because she was the goddess of the crossroads.

Fun DJ and Trivia Host DJ Mystical Michael

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

What If We Are Not DJ Dancing People?

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There are some families and groups that are just not typically the kind of people who like to dance to DJ music or not even dancers at all. Growing-up, I appreciated live music over recorded music any day. There is something that a good live band can produce in energy and excitement that a recorded song can’t match.  Many professional DJs do not understand this, or are just too young to know what good live bands are like and how they can make a Wedding, Party or Event amazing! I realize that as a full-time professional DJ this may seem hypocritical or against what I am promoting but it is not. I still enjoy a high quality live band, that will never change. I originally became a mobile and club DJ because I loved music, still do.

 

I am not trying to compete or replace good live music, they are not my competition, we create different experiences using different tools and skills. A good live band has trained experienced musicians who have dedicated years or even decades to their craft. A singer with an incredible voice can move and inspire a crowd like nothing else. They have been singing at events and celebrations since humans learned how to use our voices. DJs are a much different experience and should not try to compete with a quality live musicians, we can learn the basics of mixing, scratching and sound quite quickly and should not be compared to the time and discipline needed for an exceptional musician. When you hear a DJ brag about being goods at mixing and scratching that lets you know that they have spent more time practicing at home than performing with live crowds needing a separate set of skills and experience.

An exceptional DJ needs to have a talent for reading and responding to the crowd

An exceptional live DJ needs to have a talent for reading and responding to the crowd quickly and gracefully. Matching the beats is one thing, but knowing the perfect song at the perfect time is a whole different talent that cannot be taught; either you have it or you don’t, it is intuitive. Recently, somebody described me as “A Wedding Shaman DJ”. I looked at her funny not knowing how to respond or what I thought about this description, still don’t.

 

We talked further and they were referencing how I can look at a person at a Wedding, Party or Event and somehow know what they want to hear and when. It is actually a little weird sometimes and catches me off guard. I am not sure how I know those things, but I do.

 

This why Brides, Grooms & Party Planners choose me to preform at their events

This is why Brides, Grooms and Party Planners choose me to preform at their events, I get people dancing that don’t dance. I seamlessly shift from dinner to party without jarring friends and family. I make good clean fun happen while including people who may not feel a sense of belonging otherwise. This is why I offer a guarantee to every contracted client; if you are not satisfied with my performance at your Wedding, Party or Event, you do not have to pay me the balance owed.

Rhode Island Wedding DJ Party

 

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

The Beatles: Best Selling Album of The 21st Century

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On this date in 2000, The Beatles released their first compilation available all on one CD. The title of the album is ‘Beatles 1’ with nearly every number single that the band released from 1962-1970. The release date was chosen based on it being thirty years since the band had broken-up. It is the world’s best selling album of the 21st century with more than 31 million copies sold to date!

Interestingly enough, this was also the date that The Beatles recorded “Please, Please Me”. The singe was released in The USA on Vee-Jay records with a typographical error on the first pressing of the ’45’. It had their name printed as ‘The Beattles’, not The Beatles!

 

The Beatles icon with DJ Mystical Michael

Here is a list of of the songs on ‘1’ from The Beatles Website.

 

1. Love Me Do (1)
2. From Me to You (1)
3. She Loves You (1)
4. I Want To Hold Your Hand (1)
5. Can’t Buy Me Love (1)
6. A Hard Day’s Night (1)
7. I Feel Fine (1)
8. Eight Days A Week (1)
9. Ticket To Ride (1)
10. Help! (1)
11. Yesterday (1)
12. Day Tripper (1)
13. We Can Work It Out (1)
14. Paperback Writer (1)
15. Yellow Submarine (1)
16. Eleanor Rigby (1)
17. Penny Lane (1)
18. All You Need Is Love (1)
19. Hello, Goodbye (1)
20. Lady Madonna (1)
21. Hey Jude (1)
22. Get Back (1)
23. The Ballad Of John And Yoko
24. Something (1)
25. Come Together (1)
26. Let It Be (1)
27. The Long And Winding Road (1)

The Beatles Story

“The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. They became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of popular music.[1] The group’s best-known lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later utilized several genres, ranging from pop balladsto psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. In the early 1960s, their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania“, but as their songwriting grew in sophistication, they came to be perceived by many fans and cultural observers as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era’s sociocultural revolutions.” Wikipedia

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Excellent Holiday Professional DJ

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It is early November and we are having our first flurries of snow here in the New Jersey and New York area. This is not unusual but on the cusp of Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath, it feels a little jarring.  As a Holiday professional DJ, this comes as a reminder that the Holiday Season is just around the corner and time to start gearing-up for the Holiday Parties that are almost upon us. I am fortunate that this year I will be better prepared since my move to membership with PrimeCuts Music and will receive new Christmas and Holiday Music well in advance and be ready with fresh new songs and all the old favorites for all my Holiday Professional DJ gigs.

As Holiday professional DJ, this is reminder Holiday Season is around the corner

I really appreciate being a Holiday Professional DJ at Holiday Parties here in the New Jersey, Philly and New York region. We get the opportunity to play for such diverse groups of people and offer equally diverse DJ Music for your enjoyment. We know that you want a nice mix of old traditional Holiday Professional DJ Music and some new stuff to spice it up and make it fresh and fun! For me, that means Michael Jackson, Nat King Cole, U2, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, Beyonce, Usher, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, Wyclef Jean and all the great Motown Christmas Classics may all make it into the same Holiday Party! What can be more fun than that? Any great Holiday Professional DJ thrives when in a position to play music from various genre for a diverse crowd at an office, neighborhood, school or family Holiday Party.

 

What is your most and least favorite Holiday Music played by your Holiday Professional DJ?

Dancing at Fun Party with Holiday Professional DJ

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

PrimeCuts Music For Professional DJs

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I have become so grateful for finally signing-up for PrimeCuts Music Weekly MP3 music. It has been one of the best decisions I have made as a professional DJ.  Receiving all the newest and hottest hits and about to be hits across all the major American Pop genres including Top 40, Rock, Dance, Urban, Country, Hip Hop, Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Smooth Jazz and Religious Music. Then, bi-weekly downloads of popular Latin and current Music with emphasis on Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Reggaeton, Baladas and other Latin hits. PrimeCuts sends high quality 320kbps songs. I get excited every Wednesday to log-on and download all the great MP3s.

 

It is so much fun to open the folder and start listening to all the new stuff each week. There are so many great new songs to experience and think about how and which songs will mix and segue with other tunes, old and new.  We also receive a whole folder full of a capella and instrumental versions of current and classic hits and other popular songs.  They have another separate folder of TV and Movie Theme songs, and Broadway Show tunes.  For those who use them, they have hundreds of DJ Drops, which I do not use often myself.

 

If you haven’t yet gotten the point, PrimeCuts Music is incredible

If you haven’t yet gotten the point, PrimeCuts Music is an incredible value for the monthly fee they charge for professional DJs and radio stations.  Knowing I will always have all the newest songs before they hit the radio and Billboard Charts is such a relief to me as a professional Wedding and Party DJ.

primecuts Music - Providence Wedding DJ - Rhode Island Wedding DJ

What Is PrimeCuts Music For Professional DJs?

“TM Studios’ HitDiscs® are the music service of choice among radio professionals….including American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, every major network, thousands of radio stations worldwide and most major webcasters. You can enjoy the same superior quality and service that broadcasters have come to depend on from TM Studios.”

 

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

Ask about my Rhode Island Wedding DJ and Rhode Island Party DJ Guarantee!