It was a surprise party for the birthday boy but I overheard him that he knew it was happening when he was asked about a playlist. But he was super happy on his special day in North Hollywood.  It was a nice neighborhood and folks were very accommodating. They asked me where I wanted to set up and I was like I’m good where ever they have power and preferably not in the sun. They playlist was all Salsa Music. Lot of it was classic salsa. I was told there will be a mix of all races so be free to change things up.  This can be challenging if you do not know how to read the room. Luckily we know how to read the room.  So we went with a Latin theme. We hit it up with Cumbias and Merengue music. The main English music that got them grooving was 90s dance music. Trying to keep it old school. I love parties like this where we can jump around from Latin music to old school English music. Its like you have all these tools to keep the party going.

   The guests were so nice. I got asked multiple times if I needed food or drinks. We ended up going an extra hour. That is the benefit of having a do at your house there is no time limit of how long you can go but the only concern is the neighbors but the key is not to be super loud and be considerate.  It was a fabulous  party in North Hollywood.

 There is nothing like an old school party! It was a birthday party in West Los Angeles. Everyone was in the patio area and the dj was suggested to go to the opposite end of the back yard. Black and White Affair made it happen. We set up the booth away from everyone based on client suggestion. Best scenario is to be where the action is so we can see the action and read the crowd. It was a small patio so we had to be away from everyone. I was able top place two speakers in the patio area and be stationed far away. It was hard to see if the folks were grooving to the music while they were eating but tried to keep it an old school vibe for most of the night.  Song of the night was Sex Bomb!

  This was the first event where I saw a dog table. They had meatballs for the dogs and dog treats. That table was a hit with the dogs that the guest brought. One dog was smart enough to jump on the table and over indulged in the treats. Anyway the party had a planner plus a caterer with a waitress and bartender. It was truly a celebration in West Los Angeles. I did have a good time. A few weeks later they called for another event but I sent another dj to do it since I was already doing a Latin event on the same day. Seems like most events happen on Saturday so please book your ds early if you are having a Saturday event.

We had the honor to do Westmont’s prom for the second year in the row. I love how the school picks a different venue every year. They went with the Saratoga Mountain Winery. The winery is located in the very photogenic Santa Cruz Mountains which is a fabulous backdrop for prom pics. There is plenty of space outside for prom folks to dance under the stars and bask in the fresh air plus be in beautiful surroundings. Just the ambiance of the location will make it a memorable prom night. We are all about having a plan B in Black and White Affair so at Saratoga Mountain Winery they have indoor facilities incase there is a weather hiccup.  When a school does rent out the winery then it gives it the VIP feel since students are the only ones who can enjoy the night there. The beauty of this location is that it is easy to get to from south bay schools.

  So if you do want a nice outside venue then Saratoga Mountain Winery is a must. Westmost again gave us a great playlist to work with. Students dressed super nice and were polite. Party was  at 6 so we had to come in early to set up. We got there early to accommodate the venue then we were able to go back home to change and get back.

   Overall it was a fun night at a nice venue. Definitely a memorable prom night at Saratoga Mountain Winery.

  Prom season is among us. We had a busy homecoming season so our playlists were current with the hits the high schoolers love. We love proms since they give us killer playlists every time we do an event and students take the dance experience to the next level. Prom for most students is a one of a lifetime event and it is our duty   as djs to give them the experience that they deserve.

  We did Evergreen’s Prom at the Hayes Mansion. We have played there before and it’s a beautiful venue for any kind of event. The mansion is surrounded by 20 acres of pretty gardens providing beautiful pictures.  A positive is the venue is easily accessible from major highways. Evergreen always brings the energy for all dances.

 Our other prom the school was Kimball High located in Tracy and they had their prom over at the Glasshouse. With over 12000 square feet of space, the Glasshouse can handle big proms with lots of room for dancing and socializing and have space for photo booths.

Dj Rich held it down at the Glasshouse.

 How were the proms similar?  Both had positive vibes and students had a good time. Students were dressed super nice.  How was it different? The Tracy high school had more Latin music than Evergreen.

 Glasshouse is also a beautiful venue at the heart of downtown San Jose.  We still have two more proms to go this season as of right now. We are looking forward to playing at a Saratoga Mountain Winery and at Levi Stadium.

  Be the hip planner to incorporate a vinyl dj for the event. When a vinyl dj plays at a corporate event it gives is a vintage feel that can bring back memories and it can fit the theme and vibe of the event. Also just the sight of vinyl records is appealing and add to the atmosphere of the event. Just the visual of a dj switching records for each song can create a cool ambiance.

A lot of folks say that vinyl records do produce a different sound than of digital formats. One can say that vinyl can produce a warmer, rich sound compared to digital tracks thus giving a better listening experience. It does seem there are a lot of digital djs around and hiring a vinyl dj will bring a different experience that not too many folks have experienced and it would be one that truly stands out. I do have to say vinyl djs have the experience to solidify their skills since collecting records is an ongoing mission and djs take serious since it is expensive to maintain.

There is no such thing as a sync button (to have songs seamlessly mix) so these vinyl djs are more skilled to mix by ear. In a nutshell, vinyl djs at corporate events can create a unique feel to the event and make it memorable for all those that attend. Call Black and White Affair to bring the Vintage Dj experience for the corporate event.

  Now its easy to prep for a dj night. Well I cannot say too easy but we definitely have to carry less to events. We used to play at the clubs 3 nights a week. We would have the latest tracks on record and we had all the classics. We would bring 6 crates every time we did events. We would have the classic hip hop and the latest hip hop and the current pop and funk. We would always focus on the current music but we would always dive in the older stuff in the beginning of the night.  Why not play some 80s new wave then jump into some funk? 90’s hip hop was always a hit and then once the crowd started to show up then we would go with the current music.  Once it hit midnight, I would have to go with the midnight mix.  From 12 to 1 we would go hard with the biggest hits. That had to be the peak of the night.  Then from 1 to 130 we would tone it down a bit. I would always do a slow song   as the last song of the night.  There was one club that would always wants Journey at the end of the night.  No matter what that had to be the last song of the night. But I would like to do a r&b  song to end on. The greatness of vinyl is you can only play what you bring. Never have to download any track and you just say you   don’t have it on record.

Setting up a lip dub involves a lot of planning and total buy in from the school. It would be good if the school has an advisory or homeroom so they can practice their part. First thing first, they need to select a few songs that are hip and clean as can be. Once those songs are selected then each class will have a portion of the song they are responsible for. Classes practice their part and they dress the part. Its good to do a test run so student know how to pace their part of the song.

 We recommend a dj setting up audio gear so music can be heart through the school. Depending on how big the school is I would recommend 4 to 6 speakers spread out to cover more ground. Make sure the wires are taped up or where no one can trip because there are students everywhere doing dance routines and not really paying attention on where they step. Playing it through the intercom will sound really bad. Best to do 2 to 3 takes of each song so it can be cut and pasted the parts that will be used. Once its recorded then they dub over the audio with the actual song so it sounds clean.

   This is a whole school activity and kids can be kids. They can make up dance routines or they can do silly things that they will always remember. Build some culture in your school and have Black and White Affair Dj do your audio for your lip dub event.

Santa Cruz Prom for a San Jose High School: (Bay Area Dj Serving San Jose, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Gilroy and Morgan Hill)

  We did homecoming for Independence in the fall and we were called to do their prom. They choose a nice venue in Santa Cruz. During homecoming they had a boatload of energy so we were excited to do their  prom. As they did before they gave us a lot of good hits on their playlist so it was easy to get their party going. The venue was called the Coconut Grove. They   had a place for dancing and a play to play video games. The students had to a chance to play some video arcade or go dancing with their friends.

 Its nice to venture outside of the bay area to try different nice spots. There are so many places to chose from and this venue was very professional that they contacted me before to give me a number to call and also give us information on how to load.

 It is prom season so go to a dj company that knows high school music. This is prom number 1 of 4 this season and we are ready for them. Call Bwadj.com for your epic high school event.