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!

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…

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!

J & A Prep Kitchen Friday Night

Here’s a video from J & A Prep Kitchen Friday night. Thanks to Jake from 104.9 The Cat for posting it. We all had a blast. Hope to see you all there soon!

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

Valentine’s Day Weekend Recap

Hello again and thanks for stopping by the blog!  Yes, this week was the anticipated/dreaded week of Valentine’s Day.  For some, Valentine’s day is a day to celebrate with a loved one.  If you possess more of a cynical outlook on life, maybe you prefer the premonition that Valentine’s day is some overly hyped commercial holiday designed by conglomerates like Hallmark, jewelers, chocolatiers or even your local florist to cash in.  Well whatever your outlook, I hope you all had a great day.  Hopefully you didn’t over invest in thought, precious hard earned dollars or experienced heartache because of it.  I personally had an eventful weekend.  Please let me tell you about it… Friday, started bright and early for me as I headed over with Stacey Warrings (Jacob & Anthony’s) to Albany Broadcasting Company to appear on 104.9 The Cat.  We were there to promote my Singles Revenge Party with Jake & Dana.  Let me tell you, these two were super welcoming to us and it was a pleasure to see a duo on air have as great of a chemistry as these two did.  We caught up with each other, discussed the party that night at Jacob & Anthony’s Prep Kitchen and even gave away some restaurant gift certificates to some lucky callers.  Thanks Stacey!  In case you’re not familiar, Jake and I go back about a decade.  I remember him being the guest MC at a handful of venues over the past 11 years or so.  As we parted ways, I thanked him for having Stacey and I on air and gave Jake a USB thumbdrive with a country mega mix I made personally for him.  He was surprised yet extremely excited to listen to what I had made for him.  Anyways, the party that night ended up going really well.  It’s always nice to dj for new and different audiences.  By the end of the night I had won them over as everyone was asking when I would be back next!  Here’s a hint: Really soon! Saturday night I dj’d my monthly residency at Vapor Night Club.  I have to say Saturday nights crowd was probably up there with some of the best crowds I’ve ever had the pleasure to dj for.  The vibe and energy in the room was great from the start.  Normally, I warm the crowd up a little bit before I kick the tempos up however, I could tell that everyone was ready to go last night.  People are really taking into the whole video djing thing as it offers a little something for everyone.  I brought a handful of my friends out and they all had a blast.  If you haven’t been out on a Saturday night at Vapor, you are truly missing out.  The Sights and Sounds party has some of the best staff in the area, top notch sound and lighting, and great drink specials.  Add all of that up plus the areas best dj talent and you get an amazing product!  I’ll be there March 16th mixing up some more videos.  See you there! Two of my friends were avid listeners of J-Will in the morning and just had to take a pic.  What a stud! Sorry for the blurry pics.  Can I blame it on the iPhone? Another shot of the crowd vibing!

Slider Slam 2013/ Vapor Nightclub

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!