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!

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.

Lola Boutique

Today I had the pleasure to dj at Lola Boutique (Saratoga Springs, NY) for their soft opening.  I have to say the shop looks amazing.  I was truly impressed with the layout of the store.  The jewelry and accessories spoke for themselves.  I have been in plenty of boutiques and there was something a little different about this one.  There was an artistic blend of accessories for women of all ages.  From earrings, bracelets, bangles to scarves.  Most everyone who wandered into the store today bought something but what they all really left with was a piece of the owner, Megan Druckman’s heart.  In the short time that I was there djing,  I learned of Megan’s roots.  As a buyer for Bloomingdale’s for the last 7 years, her vision and eye for accesories helped the Department store report record sales in a diminishing economy.  Through hard work, dedication and sacrifice, Megan was able to finally make her dream of opening her own boutique come to fruition.  No more working for the man, or Bloomingdale’s in this case.  As I was djing, I overheard Megan engaging with shoppers and I noticed one thing in particular.  People genuinely love talking to her! Among all the wonderful accessories, the real gem lies in the owner Megan.  I wish her much success and be sure to stop by on Saturday (6/15) for the official grand opening of Lola Boutique (454 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY).  Check out the wonderful accessories and say hello to Megan!  I will be there djing from 12-3pm.  Hope to see you there!

Variety is the spice of life isn’t it?

March has been an eventful month thus far.  Aside from my weekly residencies at Lark Tavern and Buddha Tea Lounge.  I have recently teamed up with Jacob & Anthony’s Prep Kitchen in the Crossgates Mall.  Jacob & Anthony’s and the Marrello group have really taken me in and treated me like family.  I am very grateful for that.  I even had the pleasure to record my first ever radio ad thanks to them!  The Ad is currently airing on Fly 92.3 and 104.9 The Cat.  Let me know what you think of the ad!  So here’s the shameless plug…Every Friday night I will be Djing in the lounge at J & A Prep from 9-12 midnight.  But really, the weekends can be monotonous at times so why not change things up?  This is your personal invititation to come hang with me!

Earlier in the month I also had the pleasure to warm the crowd up at Upstate Concert Hall formerly known as Northern Lights.  This time around it was Harlem born rap sensation ASAP Rocky.  Not quite a household name to some right now however, there is no Hip Hop artist currently hotter on the scene.  ASAP Rocky was recently on the cover of Rolling Stone….yes Rolling Stone!  Do a google search if you are not familiar.  I cannot promise that you will love his music but I can promise that he is on top right now!  The show was completely sold out and extremely fun to dj as the crowd was super energetic.  The demographics of the crowd leaned heavily in favor of the teenagers so I kept the music relatively youthful and current.    Check the pics below for a pic I took of ASAP Rocky’s set list.

Speaking of pics.  I have been taking a lot of them.  I am going to start taking more and more pics of my dj setups.  It seems as though the general public enjoys seeing what my office/workspace looks like.  I would love to have seen some pics of my different setups over the years.  Ever wonder what kind of equipment I use? or what it looks like but you don’t want to creep me out by staring? Wallah! Dj Booth Pics.  I might be onto something here…

Last weekend I dj’d my monthly gig at Vapor Night Club.  I have to say that if you haven’t been to a Sights and Sounds Saturday, you are truly missing out.  I was excited to dj more than I usually am because I had some great new videos and remixes I wanted to try out.  I am looking forward to April 6th where I will be doing a DJ showcase along with 3 of my long time friends and fellow dj’s: Dread, Element and Nick Papa Giorgio.  Hope to see you there!

This year St. Patrick’s Day landed on a Sunday.  I closed out the weekend by djing St. Patricks Day at Jacob & Anthony’s in Saratoga.  Sunday was a festive but relaxed afternoon.  It was a nice easy change of pace from what a St. Patrick’s Day celebration could typically entail.  The restaurant had some great Irish fare (Corned beef and cabbage, potato leek soup,etc.), as well as Guinness beer and Jameson Whiskey specials.  Ironically, it was perhaps a more proper way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as friends gathered with family, dressed in hues of green and enjoyed each others company over a warm meal and spirits.

St. Patrick’s day setup from the front with the banner

I may have received enough compliments on my goal keepers jersey to wear it more than once a year lol

Hot off the Press!

Hello 2013! So things have been moving along and I am proud to say the new website is now live.  Please check it out and book your next big event here: http://www.djplaygroundproductions.com  

I am proud of this site but even more so, the product Playground Productions promises to deliver.  Any dj can dj a wedding.  However, not all dj’s are created equal.  Just how all cooks can cook…but not all cooks are chef’s.  Not all dj’s are capable of the same skill set.  Playground Productions is here to set the new gold standard.  Real dj’s with great musical depth.  Dj’s with the ability to scratch and mix when necessary.  Dj’s that know how to create and control the energy in a given room and dance space.  And last but not least Dj’s who know how to MC and run the party without stealing the show.  We are Playground Productions.  We are the Best!

Evolution

So these days I’m changing things up a little bit.  Awhile back I tweeted (@djplayground) something to the tune of not being boxed in or constantly re-inventing yourself.  No…I am still djing in the nightclubs, opening up for touring artists at shows (Upstate Concert Hall), and hitting the recording studio when the time calls for it…but more recently I am proud to announce the formation of my new brand and business Playground Productions.  We have been around but have just recently put things in motion to really fill in the void in quality dj entertainment when it comes to private and special events.  Visit us on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/djplaygroundproductions and send the page a “like” or message us to book your next big event! Ok that sounded a bit like a commercial or an advertisement and I am sorry for that, but this is the next big thing for me and my team.  I have surrounded myself with some great hard working and loyal professionals and we are excited!  The focus will be on bringing superior sound and lighting to the table but on top of the audio and visual experience we want to move our party goers emotionally with what i want to describe as exceptional dj talent.  The goal at the end of any event or party we do is to not only rock the crowd, listeners, and the dance floor but also to move them emotionally and take them on a seamless musical journey.  We want you to walk away from the event saying “That Dj just made my night”.

Take a look at the new Logo…

We made it into Vow magazine!

Lia White Party

Again, The place looked phenomenal!