J-Will Jamboree x Dj Playground

Monday morning I dj’d the traffic jam segment (6:50, 7:50, 8:50) of the J-Will Jamboree morning show. For those of you who don’t know, J-Will and I work together at Vapor Night Club twice a month. He’s the emcee, I’m the dj (<—-see what I did there? hint: Jazzy Jeff reference, please look it up!) Whenever J-Will and I rocked Vapor, the chemistry was undeniable and so…the inevitable collaboration occured. Check out J-Will’s soundcloud for the audio clip of Mondays traffic jam: https://soundcloud.com/jamz-96-3/dj-playground-on-the-j-will. Djing at 6 am was a new experience for me. For 12 years, I dj’d nightclubs and would often times get home at 5 am. That day I left my house at 5:15 am while the sun was peaking it’s pretty little head. These days, times have certainly changed and I’m loving it. J-Will and I had a great show that morning with some very entertaining conversation. He truly is a genius at what he does! Big shout out to Thaddeus (J-Will’s intern) as well. Thaddeus had the inside scoop on all the latest news regarding Drake’s new album leak. I mean, he even had it down to the exact time that it leaked! Thaddeus, It was a pleasure meeting you. You have a bright future my friend. Many thanks to everyone who tuned in Monday morning. Stay tuned for many more shows to come!

Here’s some instagram video!

http://instagram.com/p/eUg1N_n010/

http://instagram.com/p/eUZ61-H0_Q/

Back to back wedding weekend fun!

This past weekend I had the pleasure to dj back to back wedding receptions.  I kicked off the weekend by djing my friends Dan Marcy (wearing the ultra suave bow tie in the above pic) and Kari Jelenic’s reception.  They had their special day at the Club at Windham Mountain.  The place was absolutley stunning with a warm rustic ski lodge vibe.  It was a pleasure to be a part of Dan and Kari’s big day.  Both of their families were absolute gems and were very accommodating to me.  These folks sure showed up to party!  Dan and Kari, if you are reading this…Thank you for having me and I wish both of you the best of luck in Atlanta!

Saturday I had the pleasure to dj Laura and Denise’s reception.  They had their reception at the Silver Bay Resort in Silver Bay, NY.  This really was a special wedding reception for it was a small and intimate gathering.  One thing I distinctly noticed was how you could really feel the love in air and visibly see the glow on all of the guests faces.  I was told by the Ginny (the wedding planner) of Wedding Planing Plus that Laura and Denise were very specific as to the volume of the music and to not anticipate much dancing.  Well, I kept the music at the volume as per requested however to my surprise, the guests flocked to the dance area and stayed there all night long! A great time was definitely had by all!

Ps-  Take a look at picture below to see how beautiful the room looked.

Goodbye Summer

This past weekend I dj’d a beautiful reception for Andrew and Jennie. If either of you two are reading this, congratulations! It was truly a pleasure to dj your reception.  Albany Country Club was so beautiful and although the weather was hot, the reception stayed cool! Many thanks to Shannon Whitney from Wedding Planning Plus for the making sure everything went super smooth.  Shannon has a zen like calmness amongst what can be a very hectic day of planning.  What’s her secret? If I told you, well…you know.  Be sure to call her to organize your next event folks!  The staff at Albany Country Club were very warm and inviting. Half of the business cards I had passed out for the night were requested from the staff! Thanks for the delicious salmon dinner and that wicked concoction of a chocolate milk iced coffee! I’d also like to thank Kevin DeMassio Photography for showing me that vendors really do go above and beyond what they are asked to do. Kevin is so serious about his craft! I can’t wait to see these photos. Shannon, Kevin and his assistant Ben and I had our vendor meals together. It was nice to sit down with them and chat “industry” but the real kicker was when we started talking about our dogs! Kevin, remember to “claim” the stimulus from your bulldog! (Ceasar Milan voice) lol. For now, here’s a shot of the uplighting from my iphone. I’ll be sure to update this post with some official shots.

Here’s a look at the new logo. Please let us know what you think!

On that note, I want to say farewell summer. You were amazing and I’m sad you have to go. However, I’ve got some killer fall clothes I’m excited to wear. See you guys next post!

Wait…it’s August already?!?!?!?!?

Where does the time go?…time flies (insert every other cliche saying about time…… here).  Well, here’s what I’ve been up to since the last: djing, djing and more djing.  Wait, I also split my finger playing softball.  In short, it happened while making a diving catch in the outfield.  In the end, I needed 6 stitches.  The important part is I caught the ball right?  Anyways, this was an eventful week as I was djing Club Mine on Thursday, a Sweet 16 on Saturday afternoon and the Sights and Sounds party at Vapor Night Club with Deejay Element at night.

Club Mine reached out to me and wanted to include me in their 1-2-3 promotional lineup for the summer.  As you may already know, Saratoga is a popular destination come this time of year thanks to the race track.  This month, I will be kicking the weekends off djing at Club Mine on Thursday nights.  Friday nights is Latin night with Dj Frankie Ramos and Saturday night Jamz 96.3’s own Dj Iroc is djing.  Before this Thursday, I have never been to Club Mine.  To my surprise, Club Mine looks amazing inside.  The staff was super welcoming and the crowd was very friendly and receptive to just about anything I played.  Many of the patrons paid visits to the dj booth to compliment the music!  I’m super excited to dj an open format club where anything goes.  If you are out and about on a Thursday night, stop by.  Don’t take my word for it…definitely come see for yourself!

 

 

Saturday afternoon I dj’d a Sweet 16.  However, this was no ordinary sweet 16.  This party had the works.  It was located on a beautiful backyard with an amazing in-ground pool and hot tub.  The outdoor kitchen was something you could only dream of….in an indoor kitchen! The pool house was…you get the idea!  The party started off slow as the kids were slow to warm up.  Remember guys, this is a sweet 16.  Boys stayed in one area while the girls congregated in another.  It was only a matter of time before these kids were up dancing together all around the pool…Vegas style!.  The party had the works.  A great backyard, catering, me djing, oh did I mention a helicopter? Yes, the kids were taking turns riding a helicopter.  I didn’t get a chance to take a ride (not that I trust those things lol), but supposedly they were flying to SPAC while the Lil Wayne concert was going on.  All in all, it was a night to remember and these kids definitely had a blast!

I closed out the weekend djing with my long time friend Deejay Element at Vapor for the Sights and Sounds party.  Deejay Element and I have been friends for over 15 years and it’s always a lot of fun to dj with him.  Check out the pic below I took of the monitor behind the sound and lighting booth.  Jamz 96.3’s own j-Will hosted the night and kept the crowd involved and engaged the whole night.  Element and I went hour for hour and we kept the crowd rocking.  If you haven’t been to a Sights and Sounds party you are truly missing out.  I’ll be there this Saturday August 10th mixing up the videos.  We hope to see you there!

Hall of Fame

This past weekend, I dj’d a wedding reception at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.  If you have been here then you already know that this is a very unique place.  The reception was held in the “Hall of Fame” section of the building.  I must say, It was an honor to dj there and you could not have helped but notice that you were surrounded by greatness.  The plaques of champions names covered the walls and the colorful jockey silks graced the top of the room throughout.  I spent the earlier part of the afternoon at the track… so being right down the street, I arrived nice and early.  I even had the pleasure to take a leisurely stroll around the museum.  The history of horse racing is captivating to say the least and I definitely want to make a return visit!

The reception went very well and I have to thank all of the staff at the Hall of Fame for making everything so incredibly smooth.  Just outside the hall, food stations were set up.  The staff was super friendly and the food was nothing short of delicious.  Compliments to the chef on a superb job on the sirloin!  As the night progressed, guests of all ages from 7 to seemingly 70 stayed on the dance floor the entire night!  I don’t know how they had the energy… Even my feet were starting to hurt!  Joann Hoose Photography was in charge of snapping pics.  Thank you Joann for sending some samples so promptly.  I can’t wait to see the rest.  The best feeling came the following day when the bride Colleen emailed me to say how happy she was with everything and how everyone was asking her for my number.  To receive an email from a bride on her honeymoon thanking me reminds me why I love to do what I do.  Thank you Colleen!

Dj Showcase volume 2 at Vapor Nightclub

This past saturday I had the pleasure to dj alongside some of the best dj’s in the area again.  DJ’s: Dread, Element and Nick Papa Giorgio and I collaborated for the second installmant of the Dj showcases’ at Vapor Nightclub.  The night started early as we all met up around 7 at the Garden Buffet.  The 4 of us met with J- Will (Jamz 96.3), the emcee and host of the night to discuss how we would go about splitting up time slots.  Dread, Nick Papa Giorgio, Element and I have been friends for over a decade so the meeting was simple, easy flowing and brief.  After business was conducted, it was time to eat!  I’m not really into eating at buffets but tonight not eating wasn’t an option.  I don’t know of a dj that can dj on an empty stomach.  So…when in Rome right? I went to town!  To my surprise, the Garden Buffet was really good.  If your at the racino,  I recommend you try it.  As the night progressed we learned that WCW’s Buff Bagwell was going to be joining us at the club.  As a dj, you have to love when you have an impromtu visit by a celebrity.  Buff was a lot of fun and a good sport as we all had fun flexing our muscles with him,  Check out the pics below.  Check out Deejay Element and I this weekend at Vapor Nightclub and stay tuned for the recap.  Until next time…

July 4th Weekend

This is where I will be.  Come check out my long time friends Jake Allen (104.9 The Cat), Deejay Element and I at Vapor Night Club this Saturday for their 4th of July Absolut party. Sure to be a good night!

The weekend re-cap

So this weekend was an eventful one. On Friday I dj’d a private graduation party for a family who has treated me very well over the years. Out of respect for their privacy, I’ll just say they are a well known family in the area. So, let me tell you about this party…It was truly incredible. First off, the dance floor hovered over the pool. Tents were everywhere to shelter us from this ever so chaotic weather (if you live in the greater capital region and have been in town the last few weeks, you understand where I’m coming from). Food and catering was provided by Mazzone. The staff was top notch and as always were very professional and accommodating. This party had it all…Open bar with top shelf everything you can imagine. There were specially setup stations that served fresh beef and chicken sliders,fresh cut fries,homemade milk shakes and even a brick oven baked pizza station! Now this is the way to get your snack on while you party. Shout out to my long time friend Frank Deluca (Glen Sanders Mansion) for making sure everything was running smooth and even finding the time to run some sliders over to the dj booth. All night, guests were dancing over the pool, eating and drinking till the early hours. Oh and let’s not forget music and lights by yours truly. Check out the “wonderful” iphone pictures below.

Saturday night, I dj’d the Capasso/Feuerstein reception at the Vista (Van Patten golf club) in Clifton Park, NY. Alicia and Randy are a lovely couple and it was a treat to meet all of their family and friends. For their wedding I brought the works. The powered speakers and subs, lasers, scanners and of course, plenty of led lighting. Needless to say the beautiful Vista turned into an all out light show and party when the sun went down. What made this wedding different from the others was that between Randy and Alicia, there were a lot of family members that were musicians. They had asked if they would be able to play a few sets throughout the night. Of course I happily obliged. This was definitely not a problem as I have had a lot of experience managing stages as the resident dj for shows at Upstate Concert Hall. The greatest surprise was when Alicia’s fathers band the “Time Capsules” played. These guys really tore the house down. At one point, even the groom Randy joined the band and sang a song! Everyone was ecstatic! If your looking for a band to play your next event or party, I highly recommend these guys. As the night progressed, so did the partying and dancing. At one point I was running out between songs handing out what seemed like many hundreds of glow sticks, bracelets, wands etc. I knew the kids, twenty year olds and thirty somethings all love the glow stick paraphernalia but to my surprise the entire room really took to it. Especially the older guests! This reception was such a blast to dj and I’m not sure who had more fun the guests or myself! For now these crummy iPhone pics will have to suffice. Look forward to the update with photography from Rob Spring and videography from Tigress Eye Productions.

DBSMC launch party

Saturday I stopped by Duke’s Barbershop to check out the launch of his new clothing line DBSMC (Dukes Barberhop Mercantile Company). It was nice to see the all the barbers, family and friends help out Duke as he was prepping for this big day. I was even able to sample a freshly grilled pita courtesy of Freddy! Duke has been my barber for what has to be close to 5 years now and I had to help support the cause. Initially I was going to DJ the event but due to prior bookings, I was only able to pay a short visit. No worries though as DJ Wolverine was the DJ. Look him up, he is one of Albany’s most promising dj’s with a bright future ahead of him. For those that know Duke and know anything about street wear, then you know Duke is always dressed to the nines. Whether it’s a pair of limited New Balance’s or Asics, Duke is the only guy I know in town that is consistently pardon the expression…”killing the game”. So with that said, it was to no surprise that his line DBSMC was truly impressive as well. His colors and pattern selection were first rate. The hats were all amazing. I’m regretting not buying one now. Duke, if you are reading this…save me a floral brim snapback! If your in the Albany area, stop by Dukes Barbershop and get a great haircut and some really fresh DBSMC clothing. Congrats on the launch Duke!

3 Very different events, 12 hours of Djing…1 day.

Last night was a marathon dj day/night for me. Let me tell you about it…I started my day at 10:30 in the morning en route to Saratoga to kick off the official grand opening of Lola Boutique. I must say, Saratoga is what many of the other cities in the Capital District strive to be like. On the second consecutive sunny day in what seemed like an agglomeration of rainy days, the streets were definitely buzzing. Cars were everywhere and parking was virtually non existent. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the sunshine by shopping and dining!. I’ve never seen Broadway this early in the day (sorry guys I’m usually sleeping, don’t judge) and although I was pressed to find parking, It was a pleasant surprise. Kudos to the City of Saratoga planning committee and anyone else responsible for the downtown area’s success. On a scale of 1- 10, the grand opening of Lola boutique was about a 15. It was so nice to meet the family of the friends I had met Thursday night at the soft opening. The shop became so busy at one point that the family and friends of owner Megan Druckman, had to move out of the way to make room for the steady stream of shoppers that wanted to explore this new gem of a shop. I wish Lola Boutique the most success! If you are out and about in Saratoga (454 Broadway), be sure to stop by Lola Boutique. You will not be disappointed by the great selection they have. Tell Megan, Dj Playground sent ya!

My next stop was Saratoga State Park for a private function. What a beautiful day it was to be djing outside. There is just nothing more simple yet beautiful about family, and friends gathered around food and music. Nothing sums up summertime better than those three letters….BBQ! I can’t wait for the next one!

And last but not least, around 7 pm…off I head to Vapor Nightclub. I don’t usually triple book in a given day so I knew today was going to be a test of mental and physical stamina. 12 hour dj days do not come around very often but when they do, make sure you are prepared. I packed a change of clothes, travel bag with all the goodies and headed to the couch in the Vapor dressing room for none other than the infamous before work “power” nap. After about 20-25 minutes I felt refreshed and ready to go all night. And, thats exactly what J-Will (Jamz 96.3) and I did! The crowd at Vapor was an energetic one as they stayed on the dance floor till close. Was it the music? J-Will’s charismatic voice out of the speakers? Maybe it had to do with the fact that it was the Redbull kickoff party? who knows. J-Will and I had a ton of fun and I loved djing in the Redbull Dj Booth for sure! New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega (Stop here and say it out loud: Yolandaaaaaaaa Vega!) came to say hello to Jay and I as she was out celebrating her daughters birthday. We took a fun pic with the “I love Vapor sunglasses”. Sorry Vapor, I popped the lenses out. Until the next time…