What If We Are Not DJ Dancing People?

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

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 LennonPaul McCartneyGeorge 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

Freddie Mercury Died 11/24/1991: A DJ Reflects

Former Queen Lead Singer, Pianist and Lyricist Freddie Mercury died today in 1991 of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS. Freddie had come out and stated just the day before that he had contracted AIDS.

 

Freddie Mercury was one of the great singer and songwriters of the modern generation with his flamboyant style, reflective lyrics and dynamic four-octave vocal range.  He has touched fans, dancers and listeners worldwide and is still one of the most requested artists for me as a professional DJ. Just this past Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, a young man from London asked me if I would play Queen’s “Radio Ga Ga”. Of course, I did willingly. It was one, if the most, popular songs of the night at Applebee’s in Hackettstown, NJ. This is not a surprise due ot the wide fan-base that reaches across many genre and tastes.

 

I remember when I first heard Queen’s album A Night At The Opera. I was totally blown away by the vocal range and group harmonies on songs like “You’re My Best Friend” and the now classic “Bohemian Rhapsody”. There was not previously or since a band that has come close to matching their complex vocal harmonies, instrumentation, lyrics and unique style. On stage, they were very dynamic and drew raves from fans and critics alike globally.

Freddie Mercury Humanitarian

Freddie Mercury was a fearless humanitarian and activist that never shied away from criticism or challenges for the rights of others. He and Queen perofmed at many famous benefit concerts including Music For Kampuchia and Live Aid. At the Live Aid performance, the crowd spontneously began to clap collectively in the same manner as they had produced in the music video for the song “Radio Ga Ga”. I remember watching on TV and clapping along with them, a very inspirational moment. After, when asked about it, the band stated that it was not planned and they were surprised as anyone else since the audience was not just Queen fans but there for the cause and all the other performing acts as well.

Freddie Mercury & Queen Radio GaGa

Freddie Mercury was born in the nation we now call Tanzania of parents that Parsis from British India. He left behind a legacy few performers and musicians will reach.  All totaled, the band collected 18 number one albums and 18 more number one singles grossing over two hundred million albums sold worldwide.

Freddie Mercury from Queen icon with DJ Mystical Michael

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

PrimeCuts Music For Professional DJs

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!

Bride to Wedding DJ, “We Aren’t Dancing People” (DJ Smiles Quietly)

Every now and then a Bride or Groom says to me genuinely, “Michael, we are not dancing people and neither are our friends or family.” I smile and keep my mouth shut. I know better as a Wedding DJ than to tell a Bride or Groom what they think will happen or not happen at their Wedding. Fear is a strong force and can convince of all kinds of things, one of them being that there are ‘dancing people’ and ‘not dancing people’. I do understand what they mean when they say this; “We don’t dance much and neither does our friends or family”. This makes sense to me and I did once actually DJ a Wedding that few people danced at. They had lots of fun and asked for many requests, they just don’t like to dance and enjoyed their music as part of the fun they had. I won’t lie, even though the music they chose in advance was not made for dancing, my ego could not believe I was not able to shift the energy, although a lot of Indie Rock and Alternative songs they chose are not very danceable.

Bride and Friends on Dance Floor at Wedding with Rhode Island Wedding DJ Mystical Michael

I pride myself on being able to adapt to the crowd at any event. Weddings are special because of the importance and diversity of the group. You may have people from four generations, regions of the country/world, races, cultures and that is before we get into styles of music! An exceptional professional  Wedding DJ is ready for anybody ad everybody that approaches the Wedding DJ station for a request. This is not 1985 when we had excuses for not having the correct music for each event. An exceptional professional Wedding DJ is prepared in advance and has a musical library that reaches across age, language, culture and genre seamlessly without making the guests feel like there is something wrong with them for asking for their favorite songs.

Friends and Family Fun on Wedding Dance Floor with Rhode Island Wedding DJ Mystical Michael

Wedding DJ; Make Sure Bride & Groom Complain Legs Hurt From Dancing

On Saturday Night, they danced, a lot. I just received an email form The Bride thanking me for such a great job and for knowing exactly what songs to play when. I smiled broadly. This is the goal for me as a professional Wedding DJ and Party DJ; make sure that Brides, Grooms and Party Planners have such a good time they complain that their legs hurt from dancing so much (Bride from two weeks ago). She swore to me in advance that the Groom would not dance and hates to dance. Not only did he dance, a lot, he asked me to play songs, “So I can dance with my new wife“.

Party on Wedding Dance Floor with Rhode Island Wedding DJ Mystical Michael

I feel fortunate that I get to perform such a wonderful service for great people and have fun doing it. There is a lot of work I do way before I get tot he Wedding or Party. That is where I am focused and diligent so there are no mistakes during your Wedding or Party. Being a professional Wedding and Event DJ means you are prepared enough that no matter what happens,nobody will no know anything changed or shifted but myself.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Wedding DJ at Yesterdays in Hazlet, NJ

Today I get to be the professional Wedding DJ at Yesterdays Restaurant in Hazlet, NJ for an interesting young Bride and Groom. They have chosen a creative and unique array of music that meets the needs of the Bride and Groom and their family and friends. The part that I found the funniest was in the Wedding Planner Guide for Wedding DJ that I provided them with. They added as notes for The Wedding Reception, “Please play some Disco for the Groom’s Mother to dance to. We hate Disco so please don’t play to much, since it is our Wedding and we want to enjoy it too!”. This is one of the reasons why I love being a professional Wedding DJ! Where else can you get the opportunity to be involved in such interesting and unique requests and concerns for family and friends?

Wedding DJ Disco Music

“Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre’s popularity peaked during the late 1970s. Its initial audiences were club-goers from the African AmericanLatinogay, and psychedelic communities in New York Cityand Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Disco also was a reaction against both the domination of rock music and the stigmatization of dance music by the counterculture during this period. Women embraced disco as well, and the music eventually expanded to several other popular groups of the time.” Wikpedia

Wedding DJ at Yesterdays in Hazlet, NJ

Yesterday’s Restaurant Hazlet Rhode Island Wedding DJ

 “Yesterday’s Restaurant has been serving the Bayshore Community for over 50 years. Family owned and operated, we pride ourselves on offering the finest authentic Southern Italian & American cuisine. Our newly rebuilt restaurant & banquet facilities offer a wide array of menu options and our dedicated and professional staff is ready to accommodate all of your dining, catering and banquet needs.”

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Wedding DJ Plays Vitamin String Quartet

I find it so fascinating how many young Brides and Grooms incorporate songs by The Vitamin String Quartet into their Wedding Ceremony, Cocktail Hour and Reception these days. It is great music and makes a sensational bridge between music from several generations.

 

How else would Brides and Grooms be able to include Guns N Roses, AC/DC, Lady Gaga and The Beatles seamlessly together in a Wedding Ceremony or Cocktail Hour except with Vitamin String Quartet?

Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Guns N’ Roses Sweet Child O’ Mine

Next weekend I am Wedding DJ at a Wedding for a young Bride and Groom that enjoy mostly Rock, Indie and Punk. They are also very conscious of wanting their parents and other guests to enjoy the Wedding . They have put together a really neat bunch of songs by Vitamin String Quartet for the Cocktail Hour. It was fun creating the playlist for the Cocktail Hour since I typically make playlists in advance for Wedding Ceremonies and Cocktail Hours to make sure there is no room for errors at the Wedding.

Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to My Chemical Romance Welcome To The Black Parade

Who Is Vitamin String Quartet?

You Had Me at Cello: Entertainment Weekly Review

“For nearly six years, Vitamin Records has tapped that same symphonic spine with its String Quartet Tribute series, which takes rock music and puts it through an orchestral filter. Aimed at collectors, completists, and fans open to reworkings of their favorite songs, the Vitamin catalog includes 140 classically gassed homages to every three-chord wonder from Metallica to the Darkness. ”I like the tribute to us,” says Nickelback guitarist Chad Kroeger. ”When your music is taken to a different place, it’s an honor.”

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Rhode Island DJ

Wedding DJ with Multicultural Brides and Grooms

I did not know when I first started promoting DJ Mystical Michael here in the New Jersey, New York and Philly area that I would have so much fun working with Multicultural Brides and Grooms at their Weddings. It is not that I am not aware of what a great mix of cultures we have in New Jersey and New York, I grew-up here and have never experienced the world through the eyes of just one way or culture. It would seem obvious that a local man who is from a Multicultural family would attract Multicultural Brides and Grooms to perform as DJ at their Weddings right? Well, it was not obvious for me at the time but I embrace the amazing opportunities that have come my way to work with Multicultural Brides and Grooms, especially the past few months.

Multicultural Bride and Groom First Wedding Dance with  Multicultural Brides and Groom and DJ Mystical Michael

Rhode Island Wedding DJ Supports Multicultural Brides and Grooms

It is so much fun for me to support Multicultural Brides and Grooms blend their family styles, traditions and music into one big, simple and elegant Wedding!  I remember several years ago when I was a Social Work student and had taken a class titled, “Racial and Ethnic Groups”. The Professor would remind us on a regular basis, “You don’t know what you don’t know and how can you?” This is the attitude I try to bring to my interactions with all my clients, especially Multicultural Brides and Grooms; you know your family, friends and what you want, I am here to make sure that it works exceptionally well.

Fun Dancing at Asian Multicultural Wedding with  Multicultural Brides and Groom and DJ Mystical Michael

Last night I met with a really fun and nice Multicultural Brides and Groom that are Italian and Latina. We had so much fun laughing and sharing ideas about their Wedding.  I am baffled why so many professional  Wedding DJs hate this aspect of their work. For me, I love to get to know my Brides, Grooms and Party Planners before we agree to work together when possible. I like the connection and hearing your stories and experiences that have brought you together today. How can you do an an exceptional job at your Wedding or Party unless you know who they are and what they want, especially Multicultural Brides and Grooms?

Beautiful Dancers at Multicultural Wedding and  Multicultural Brides and Groom with DJ Mystical Michael

I am grateful to live and work in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania region where we have such diversity of culture, ideas and traditions. It is hard for me to imagine being a professional Wedding DJ, Event DJ and Party DJ in a location that is not as diverse. Besides, you get the best food at Multicultural Weddings!

Fun Dancing at Multicultural Wedding with Multicultural Brides and Groom and DJ Mystical Michael

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Wedding DJ Performs at Dark Wedding

This past weekend I was Wedding DJ & MC for two rather unique Weddings. On Saturday Night, the Wedding was a Dark Wedding with almost everybody dressed in black. This was not your Black Tie Affair, it was more Goth-liike than anything else. The Bride and Groom chose a bunch of really unique songs for the Introductions and Traditional Dances including “The Imperial March”, “Sistinas” by Danzig, “In My Life” by The Beatles, “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders.  It was fun, creative and their friends and family loved it and their Wedding DJ!

 “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders

I’ll Stand by You” is a 1994 song recorded by The Pretenders from their sixth studio album, Last of the Independents. Written by Chrissie Hynde in collaboration with the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg (who used the melody from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Minuet for Lovers]), it was the Pretenders’ most recent significant hit single, and their last successful single in North America.

The song is a power ballad that pledges love and faithful assistance in times of personal darkness. Since its initial release, “I’ll Stand by You” has also become a major hit for British girl group Girls Aloud in 2004 and Carrie Underwood in 2007, both times recorded as a charity single. Wikipedia

Groom Fun At Wedding with Rhode Island Wedding DJ Mystical Michael

I really enjoy working with Brides and Grooms who are interested in creating a simple, elegant and unique Wedding DJ Event.

As a professional Wedding DJ, I always offer my experience and recommendations, leaving it to the Bride and Groom to decide what will best for you. As many Wedding as I am Wedding DJ & MC for, it seems like they would all feel and look the same but they are not even a little bit. I am grateful that the Brides and Grooms that choose me to perform at their Weddings are wanting something that expresses their style, taste and personality. I do not do ‘cookie-cutter wedding factory style’ Weddings and won’t. I think a Wedding is too important for a Bride and Groom to not place their imprint all over it.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Holding Lighters at Concerts Started September 1969

It was during a concert at the Toronto Rock & Roll Revival on September 13th 1969 the tradition of holding up lit matches and lighters during Rock Shows began. Before The Plastic Ono Band with John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Claption, Klaus Voormann and Alan White came onstage, the MC Kim Fowley asked the audience to light their lighters to welcome them. It became a phenomenon not long after, whenever a Rock Ballad performed at concerts or before concert encores. It does not surprise me that such an honored tradition was birthed at a performance of John Lennon. We do not really have a performer today that symbolizes Peace and Equality to the degree that John Lennon did back then. It felt like that was what he lived for and was so passionate to the extent of being arrested and eventually shot and killed. Few among us have believed so strongly in Peace to suffer such a consequence.

Plastic Ono Band

The Plastic Ono Band is a conceptual supergroup formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969 before the dissolution of the Beatles. Among the various other members of the band were Eric Clapton, artist Klaus Voormann, future Yes drummer Alan White,Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, & friends, the Who‘s drummer Keith Moon, New York band Elephant’s MemoryBilly PrestonNicky HopkinsPhil Spector, drummer Jim Keltner, and, in a 2009 revival, Sean Lennon. Wikipedia

 Strange Concert Fact

As a peculiar side note to the concert festival, the rumor that Alice Cooper ate live chickens on stage during concerts also was birthed there. The reality is that somebody threw a chicken onto the stage and he through it back to the individual, who ate it. The rumor stuck with him throughout his career and he became somewhat of a Rock legend in creating an image of Alice Cooper as an insane man. Ozzy Ozborne followed Cooper as Rock’s crazy concert man.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ