Latest / The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast / Episode 50 How A Vintage Record Setup Became A Wedding DJ Brand: The Dapper DJ

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Episode 50 How A Vintage Record Setup Became A Wedding DJ Brand: The Dapper DJ · The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Preferred List, a podcast about the people behind the best wedding days.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm James, a wedding filmmaker.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors, and this show is all about real conversations with the ones who make it happen.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're a vendor or a couple, you'll get honest insights, good stories, and maybe a little inspiration along the way.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Let's meet today's wedding vendor.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Alex, how's it going?
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: Going good, great to be with you.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, great to have you.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so excited to have Alex on.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Alex is with the Dapper DJ.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Alex, you you gotta come in Dapper if you're gonna call yourself the Dapper DJ.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I think, I mean, you guys can see it.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think he did it.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: You can't even see the shoes.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: The shoes are on point, so there they are.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Look at those, look at those bad points.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I'm so excited.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I love all things music, so when I get to talk to DJs, it's just so fun for me.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so I'm excited to pick your brain on the DJ side of things, the business side of things.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Before we go any further, let's talk about the location for today's podcast episode.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Interim 1844 is truly a dream destination like idea.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: Known for its exquisite cuisine and stuffing gardens, the estate provides an ideal setting for both the ceremony and your reception.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Choose from the first pile locations like the classic formal English tea rose garden with a chic, weatherproof, class enclosed pavilion ballroom.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Your dedicated wedding coordinator will ensure every aspect of your day as flawless, from the artful cocktail hour in the mansion's drawing rooms to the exceptional dining experience crafted by their executive chef.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Located in Tauntytown, Maryland, the 24-acre estate is proudly listed on the National Historic Register, and it features a majestic mansion complemented by 11 outbuildings for a total of 40 beautifully appointed guest rooms, offering an all-inclusive event experience.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Interim 1844 is definitely a place that you should check out.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's jump back into today's episode.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: The first thing I want to talk to you about, though, is just like at one point you didn't have this Dapper DJ thing, and then it became like a business that you're running and working in.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to me about how all that started for you.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I mean, how far do you want to go back?
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: You go back as far as you want.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you know, um, music's been in me, uh, especially the jazz.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but let's see.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm born and raised in Frederick, um, and so I'm kind of local.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: And let's see.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I started playing trumpet in elementary school.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: Stop.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: You play the trumpet?
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like for real for real?
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I did.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, played a lot of trumpet.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, no kidding.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: You know, um, I enjoyed it very much.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and I gained an appreciation for um performance and sharing music.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and a few years later into high school, got my wheels.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and uh me and my best friend uh well, he had a mixer, I had a receiver, he had a CD player, I had a tape deck, and we started doing basement parties and treehouse parties in high school.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and it just kind of built from there.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: I found out pretty quick that um being a musician doesn't pay as well as being a DJ.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Shocker.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and once you had a nice stereo, you know, your friends would invite you to parties to play music.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, oftentimes we'd actually would join in back then.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_01: This we're talking high school, we would join in the party.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: So we bring the music and we can also attend the party, and maybe those slide is you know, 40 or 50 bucks.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's how it started uh in high school and and and it built from there.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: So when you were doing the high school stuff, um post-high school, were you kind of like leveling up a little bit?
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: You get some better gear, doing some bigger events or anything like that before the wedding started?
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it was kind of a slow slog, and really it was on a part-time basis.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, once we graduated, uh we tried to get regular jobs.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: So um the DJ thing was on nights and weekends on occasion.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_01: And uh we did a lot of fire hauls, we did a lot of um, you know, more basement parties.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: Uh but uh you know, eventually um we got asked to do a wedding or two.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: And um we also teamed, I teamed up, we both teamed up with uh another DJ outfit that was more established, and we started doing events for for him.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: It was dynamite DJs.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: Shout out to Bruce Pike uh back in the early 2000s, yeah.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really where um I developed my chops, you know, as far as DJing.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: And um I found out I really enjoyed it.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: I found out that uh I liked sharing music, first of all, but also um seeing folks come together celebrating and and just having the time of their lives, and and the music that I provided uh helped create uh an amazing experience for them when it went well, but in the early days, um it was trial and error.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I learned the hard way, I call it the school of hard knocks, yeah, for sure.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, I I recommend it um if you got time.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: So when you were working with Bruce, what was it about working with him and and kind of like under his wing getting you started that that really helped in those early couple years?
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you know, uh I looked up to him, he was already an established DJ, and uh he had a couple other DJs too working on his team.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: So um it was really just um you know, being in I think the best way to learn is when you're actually doing it.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's how I learned.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: And uh having those experiences, being at those events and watching him um do his thing, he was fantastic.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I um I just you know uh develop my skills.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: What was the biggest takeaway that you you had from him in the way that he would run an event, run a wedding?
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well probably, and this might already been in my blood, you know, just being uh in music and and in a jazz band, uh the show must go on.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, it there's no wrong notes in jazz, but uh it's it's the tenacity to to keep it going and um you know be a problem solver because something always comes up at an event, yep.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: Uh especially with DJ equipment from the early late 90s, early 2000s, you know.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um this is before laptops.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: So uh dirty CDs, yeah, uh pirated MP3s on CDs, you know, uh a host of things can can go wrong, but um you know, keeping a smile and and and keeping the energy up uh is is where it's at, is where you know where you want to be.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so it seems like you kind of learned like you know, thinking on your feet, you gotta fix stuff quick and just keep everything flowing, even if the outside world like has no idea what's going on for you.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: How does the the Dapper DJ fit into this?
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like you got started with the established uh sort of group and kind of branched off and and made your own thing.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, when I look back on it, it's like time kind of compresses and shrinks.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_01: But um, so we're talking early 2000s with Bruce.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and me and my buddy were still doing a few D uh gigs on the side, a few DJ gigs on the side.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I was actually working as an engineer at um a food production plant, and uh I was just working crazy hours and I was kind of tired of you know um working for the man and uh I wanted to work for myself.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I, you know, it's there's a there's there's a story I tell, and it's mostly true.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um there was one Christmas, I think it was like 2011, I just had my first kid.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um we were building a small family with my spouse, and I didn't have any money.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: I was just, you know, at that time of my life I had no money.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um still working on that.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_01: But anywho, um I think we I think we all are.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, and these unprecedented times.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_01: But uh my um my the family record player uh was broken and had been broken for some time, and I was staying at my parents and I told my mom, say hey, uh for Christmas I'll fix the family record player.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, because I was you know a tinkerer and I was always pretty good at fixing stuff.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_01: So um I I offered that and uh I took apart the uh old wind-up Victrola, um kind of a family heirloom thing.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: And uh as a kid, I listened to records on it.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um anywho, uh I took it apart, uh fixed the spring and got it running, and I fell in love with uh the old records and and jazz and Christmas stuff uh all over again.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: And um I was I was thinking and with uh my spouse's encouragement at the time, um decided to purchase a couple little portable picnic record players.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: And these are the kinds that um are transportable, but they're they play records from the 20s, 30s, and 40s.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: So um I had a pair of them, and then um my spouse at the time was like, Hey, uh, if you're going to be playing these old records, you should probably dress a little snazzy.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah so I give her a lot of credit for kind of the the original um uh concept of Dapper DJ.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, uh we we made a an Instagram page, we made a Facebook page, uh, made a little website.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think I had Instagram right away.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: It was 2011.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: Instagram was kind of Instagram's kind of new.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was gonna say, I don't even know.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: I I'm not even sure the date, the year that it started, but yeah.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: So we made a Facebook page, we made a website, and uh I started calling around to different shops downtown, you know, in Frederick.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I think the first outfit to hire me um might have been Venus on a half shell, a vintage clothing store.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I just played out in front of the store and um as like a promotional thing, um, and got some attention there.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: A dancing bear hired me for their 13th birthday.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh funny story, my mom was their first customer, so they had to have me.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then I did a prohibition party at Flying Dog.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, nice.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: And uh there was a couple that saw us play outside in Frederick, and they're saying, hey, you should come DJ our wedding.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: And we um my brother joined the team at that point, and we became the Dapper DJs, it wasn't just the Dapper DJ uh after that, and uh we we played a ceremony with old records, um and more and more people saw it and just kind of naturally turned into something, and uh you know we had the old records, but we also I um used the DJ equipment for the reception part, you know, so we could play music from any decade, any genre.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, but yeah, uh I weddings have just kind of been um the bread and butter of the business for sure.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: So so how did the the Dapper DJ it was like a concept kind of funny idea at first, but then you just ran with it.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: How has it kind of changed over the years?
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: So um, yeah, the whole concept actually I didn't mention um there's a few people, uh and it was more popular in Europe that were spinning old records at like parties, doing tea parties, garden parties, um little banquets and cocktail hours.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um I saw they were doing that and and I kind of um built on that concept.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: So um we just kind of turned the the Dapper, the record players, uh the vintage record players into the cocktail hour vibe and uh and built the rest of the business uh around that.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um where uh you know, we of course we dressed Dapper, but you know, vintage microphones, suitcases, um all those things kind of brought together and and and and um fleshed out the uh Dapper aesthetic.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: I call it vintage inspired.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_01: So um that's kind of it in a nutshell.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: That became our shtick.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I mean.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like it stands out and in a crowd of DJs, there's not many that are probably doing what you guys are doing.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: Right, aesthetically for sure.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, a lot of DJs have the uh um, you know, what I sometimes call uh like a spaceship kind of console.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: We we put our equipment in actual vintage suitcases, Samsung Knight suitcases from the 40s, and we use uh turntables, we also use digital music, laptops, and and all that.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um but uh yeah, yeah, aesthetically we definitely are a lot different than um your mainstream DJs.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's cool.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: So the couples that are into it appreciate it.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, I've I've found that your vibe, for lack of a better word, yeah, uh attracts your tribe.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: So uh we're out there being uh eclectic and and well, eclectic, we're we're leaning into the vintage aesthetic.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_01: And when people see that on Instagram or on our website, uh if they're into it, they call us up.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but I think it gives you a chance to stand out to the right people.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of what you're mentioning just a second ago.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, in the sea of DJs, you know, you gotta find something that makes you stand out.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that as far as our brand has um set us apart.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's so fun.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: So you've kind of just like leaned into that dapper DJ, uh, the aesthetic, the vibes, like you said, I know it's not really a better word to describe it, but as the kids would say, Yeah, right.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh gosh, we're getting or dating ourselves.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um when you're when you're working with couples and they're trying to craft like what the day is gonna look like, usually, you know, you're talking a little reception, uh, sorry, a little ceremony, but mostly reception, um, kind of kind of heavy on that side of it.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: How are you kind of walking through like the flow, the song selection, and and all that kind of stuff?
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I can lay it all out, but you know, it's it's really just much it's much more than just the ceremony reception.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, you know, when when you're a DJ and you're thinking about the music, you're you're thinking about helping them craft an experience uh from the moment guests arrive.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_01: So pre-ceremony music.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: And actually, I just did a wedding that they had uh happy hour before the pre-ceremony.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, cool.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so everyone was plenty hydrated by the time dinner rolled around.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_01: But um, yeah, you got music to think about for when you're welcoming guests, uh the ceremony tunes, of course, um, microphone situation for the ceremony, uh, cocktail jams, dinner tunes, and then uh my favorite part, the dance.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: But uh, all of it together, you're trying to build something.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you're a great DJ, you you know want to be going somewhere with the music and kind of take guests, I call it, on the proverbial surfboard so you can all ride the waves together.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: And when you got everyone as a collective on that surfboard, man, that's where it's at.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: For me, that's where I get my kicks.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so as far as the process goes, uh a couple will call us up or email us.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: And come on, it's be y'all.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um I'd be impressed if they were calling you.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I do have a landline in my basement, probably one of the last millennials that has one.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I pay a lot for it.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know why I still have it.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I have to call Comcast.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they're just raking in the money off of it.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, sure.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's an old bakelite, you know, brown giant plastic phone.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: They do have the new ones for kids that like it connects to I don't even know what it connects to.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: Probably just Wi-Fi, I guess.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: But it's that I feel like everything's like that retro, like what we, I'm assuming what we grew up in, yeah like as like a thing.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: Like we had landlines, like we called people on landlines.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and uh when you left your house, you were um no one could get you.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, kind of miss those days.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, anyway, uh also I remember being excited to get emails, uh, but that's a different topic for a different day.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um so the process, couples are reaching out, they're emailing, and then you're kind of walking them through like what kind of process.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: So a couple uh reaches out, um, and then we have Najee is my guy.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um so he'll reach out and he'll have set up a preliminary initial consultation with the client, and then he'll help determine which one of our DJs, and we have nine, uh, is gonna be the best match.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_01: And what it comes down to is their budget and also um, you know, their style, their vibe, uh, what exactly they're looking for as far as music.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_01: And we we try to pair them up with a DJ that would be the best fit.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: Then they interview that DJ that we um proposed.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_01: And if if the couple interviews them and it feels like a great fit, they move forward with that DJ and they become um, you know, work they start working directly with that DJ.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_01: And and I'm in the wings, uh, and so is our team to um to get the contract going, support them wherever they need it, answer logistical questions, but but really it we we um kind of do a handoff to um their DJ so they can can they can begin um establishing a rapport and um you know working together uh up until their wedding day.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so you started just with your brother, and then now you have nine DJs.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, at first it was just me.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and quickly thereafter, my brother joined.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: And actually, we were doing it's funny how he joined.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we were I was just playing at In the Streets in downtown Frederick, the festival they have in in the fall.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and we had a little booth, and uh my brother Jack just shows up with a banjo ukulele and just starts playing and and singing and uh attracting a crowd, um, you know, along with our records, and he became part of the team.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um his initial DJ name was Scat Cat Jack.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, nice, yeah.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: So um Yeah, wait a minute, that actually works a little bit.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, uh so he joined and then uh we started doing weddings together, and um more and more people wanted to have us at their weddings, and I I trained a few fine folks, and uh we've just been growing.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so talk to me, you know, in the business mindset.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: Like, how do you go from just you to nine, where the nine collectively are are showing up, you know, hopefully as if you would show up to all these weddings.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, well, you know, there's a bit of a training.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, there's um an onboarding, there's um what I used to call the Monokasi Music Factory.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: We had a little DJ school where um we would show the DJs the ropes, we meet up, uh show them the uh the Dapper way.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: I think I maybe said that twice.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_01: But um it's yeah, it's really important that they get the whole ethos about what we're all about.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: So um there's a training period, and then um, you know, some of the more already established DJs, uh, I would them um you know start doing events.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the newer DJs, they actually I'll I'll take them under my wing, uh, or one of our senior DJs will, and we'll take them out to events and slowly build their skills.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: So they'll start out as you know, wire runners, speaker haulers, you know, doing the grunt work, um, learning those ropes, and then uh we'll have them playing music eventually, cocktail hour, dinner hour, um some during the reception.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: And and after about a year, um we we set them um paired up with another DJ, you know, a senior DJ, to start running the actual weddings.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: And um so there's there's a process before you become before you become a fully fledged DJ.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: And once you graduate the uh the school, the DJ school, um and you've done done your time, uh, we offer them at our entry-level package.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: So our packages are based on experience level of the DJ.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_01: There's entry-level DJs, there's uh senior DJs, and then there's myself, the owner.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, those are the three packages.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_01: And we give them cute names like the B's Knees package, the Cats Meow package for the senior DJs, and myself the cat's pajamas.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: Nice.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, just again sticking out and making something different in a crowd of DJs.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: This is cool.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, even our email is a mouthful, bees knees at the dapper djs.com.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: But um it works.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_01: As long as you can spell bees knees, you're good.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: Which hopefully I I would assume if the if they're looking for a Dapper DJ, they're probably Good at spelling as well.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I hope so.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm curious to know uh if what are some of the biggest mistakes that couples can make when they're in this like music selection kind of phase of things.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I mean what what it really comes down to is um having clarity on the type of experience you want to build.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_01: So um we meet couples where they're at.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um if they want us to do more of the song selection, we're happy to.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I think the best match is when they take a collaborative approach.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: They'll say, hey, these are our favorite songs.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_01: We know you guys are the experts, so let's come together and and build something.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's the ideal situation.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um you know, one of the I wouldn't call it a mistake, but one of the uh approaches I think don't have the best outcomes would be if um they uh have a predetermined uh idea about what song to play when.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I've had some of those.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, we talk about it.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: Because it makes sense to them, but you're taking your experience over how many years of letting.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_00: So you're like, that song is really not gonna work.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_01: A ton of years.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but uh for me, what's the most important, and we we talked about it a little bit, uh, is being in alignment with the client.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: So um setting expectations early on, um, having a good um working relationship, um, and just understanding that it's it's really it's a partnership when you hire us, and we want the best possible outcome for you.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, so we're here to represent you musically as a couple, and we want to show everyone a great time on your behalf.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we have the experience at so many different events that we want to um share our expertise with you so you can have um the night you've always dreamed of.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_01: And uh just as important, we want them to fully trust us.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: So um, because because we will be the people in front playing their songs to their friends and family.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: You know, weddings are a very intimate kind of event, and uh, we want to make sure they're dang proud of who they hired, first of all, to be at their wedding.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: And we also want to make sure that um we've got their best interest in mind.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_01: So um for me, that's you know what it comes down to.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't know if I said it yet, but for me, weddings are all about the act of hospitality, the couple's first act of hospitality.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: So it's kind of a big deal.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_01: And um on their wedding day, we want them to trust us and know that you know we've got their backs so they can be fully present, yeah, and savor every moment on their wedding day.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, just be present.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: I think the trust, I mean the trust goes so far, like it's like it takes you, and it's hard.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's hard too, because um with some vendors, and I I think uh DJ might be one of those categories, like you don't really know what it's gonna be like until you're there, which uh maybe you can speak to that on like how how you're kind of like cultivating like sure.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um well trust is one thing that's um it's it's it's uh easy to break trust.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um the whole time we're working with them, we're building trust.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and also if they're not quite sure what to expect, we have videos, we have uh content on social media, so uh they can kind of see what they're getting into.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_01: Uh but um I think when you take a real partnership approach, um, and they have a great sense that you've got their best interest in mind, uh, that can kind of alleviate some of the anxiety that comes with what they're going to expect on their wedding day.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: Because um, you know, we we have things, of course, like a client portal where they can make requests, they can build playlists, share their do-not playlists.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I don't want any surprises for them.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_01: And most couples don't want surprises from the DJ anyway.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so so we'll set up, like I said, the expectations so so they they know what to expect on their wedding day.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um you know, barring any uh uh emergencies or yeah uh equipment failures, but we have protocols for all of that.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um so yeah, the the the the the important thing is that um we've established that trust so that they can really experience their wedding the way they're supposed to.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_01: I say that I tell them it's like you hand the keys over to us, everything we've done our homework leading up to the wedding.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_01: So it's like ready to go.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: You guys just be there, be in it, because wedding days they go fast, and we want you to um be a part of every moment.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's it's hard too, because uh I think even if a couple does trust every vendor, there's still some that are like, oh, but I'm worried about all the other things that could go wrong.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: But um we've talked a bunch about you know the sort of DJ to couple and and the trust there, the relationship that you're building there.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm curious, um, from your perspective to like other vendors, with you guys being sort of the ones that are running most of the evening.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: I know some coordinators are kind of kind of jump in and do things here and there, but y'all are getting everyone in, you're starting the thing, maybe you're announcing a cake cutting or a special dance or a special speech.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_00: But what's it like kind of working alongside some other vendors and all of that?
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I can be my favorite part, and uh yeah, and and I think the industry term for uh a lot of that is especially with handling crowds, is hurting the cats.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's another place I like to throw in the cats.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um so yeah, you know, we're a team, and it's um it's great when some of the teams or all of your team is friends, um, everything just kind of works better.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_01: But uh yeah, it's important, you know, for the couples to pick the right individuals, and and oftentimes they'll ask us uh what their uh if we have any recommendations on other vendors.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_01: So I might get a call from a client and they're like, hey, um, we want to book you.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know any photographers that you'd recommend?
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_01: Or do you know like um uh caterer you recommend?
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_01: And like, yeah, sure, I've worked with this folk, these folks in the past, and they're great.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so so when we get to work with our friends, that's amazing.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but what we're all working in concert in in my estimation, uh we're we're all working in concert um to bring this vision of our couples to life.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: So um and for me, there's no job.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I'll say I don't look at it as this isn't my job.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um I believe you know the the clients made the investment.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um we want to have a great outcome.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so I'll I'll help pour champagne if we're running behind.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_01: I'll set tables, you know.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um if I've I've tied bow ties on groomsman, you know, that's not DJ stuff.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_00: They generally don't know how to tie them though, that's the problem.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that is the problem.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I'll make an education video and uh yeah, they can pay.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_01: That's what we need.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_01: They can pay to have that.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um they probably still won't get it.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_01: They're probably not, but I'll go, I'll go in the uh the getting ready room and I'll help fix some bow ties, pin bootineers.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um and but yeah, we're all working together.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_01: And when the the vendors have uh that in mind, and also uh the outcome uh when they when they really are invested in a great outcome, then you're in good shape.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm curious since you've been doing the DJ thing for a minute now, has it changed much?
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_00: I know you we kind of talked about the Dapper DJ specifically, but just has the landscape of DJing changed much in the all that time?
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_01: Oh gosh.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's changed a lot.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and if if you want to make a career out of this business, you gotta um roll with the changes.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um stay on top of technology, stay on top of trends.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_01: And um, when I first started, we were using tape decks and CD players.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then we moved to laptops with mp3s and then DJ controllers uh and and all of these things.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: But um I I've seen the way DJs play music has evolved tremendously.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_01: We used to push play and sometimes let the song just you know taper out into the abyss.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and you might lose energy, but that was like what people expected back in the early 2000s.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um and now, well, and more recently, um you gotta keep the beat smooth transitions, mixes, mashups, um, creative word plays, yeah, all of these things.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: And also, um, more recently, in the last five years probably, um couples are interested in um quicker mixes.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: So we're talking two minutes or less, more like a minute and a half, you know, versus chorus, versus chorus.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_01: Do you like that or no?
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm good.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you know, and it's funny, some couples are not into it.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_01: They're like I'm so into it.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, they're like, oh, you cut the song off too early.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I'll play a ballad, I'll play like, you know, uh a sing-along.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: Like if we're gonna play piano man on a Saturday at 9 p.m., I'm gonna play the whole freaking song.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_01: Uh because you don't cut off Billy Joel.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_01: But um how dare you even think about doing that, right?
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_01: But um, like call it back, girl, you gotta get the the the ish is bananas, yeah, and they gotta spell it out B A and then A N S before you get to the next song.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_00: So anyway, um I I like it because it keeps the energy up, and um I know I know it's not it's not for the whole night, it's not a thing for the whole night, but I love when stuff goes quick because it just it keeps the energy really high, and then it's like before you even get it like you're saying, there's parts of the song that you have to get to for some songs, but before you even get too comfortable in that song, it's like wait, what's the song that's I hear something?
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I hear a beat or I hear you know some sort of stem coming through, and it's like oh yes, it's so fun.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and then you could pack more bangers to borrow a term from O DJ.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_01: So many, so many good words in there.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you could you can pack more in uh to the reception because what you want it to be is kind of like um a highlight reel of all of their favorite songs.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um so they're excited to see what's coming next, and they're dancing with their friends and family.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I I I think that you know a quicker mix is uh the way to go often, for sure.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_00: I agree.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_00: But uh who who am I saying?
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_01: That wasn't a thing.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_01: That wasn't a thing uh five, ten years ago when I started Dapper DJs.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, I was playing most of the song.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_01: I had some like nifty tricks before I could, you know, you know, mix with the beat because you know that that takes a certain amount of skill.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_01: And and when you're on CD players, it's not quite that easy.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you're like, you're like these DJs got it easy with the MP3s and all the like knobs that change the tempo and you know, and right, there's all kinds of tools, but you know, they're just tools, yeah.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, if you want to stick around in this business, you have to kind of keep up with um what the client wants.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, like you said, it's it's really you're crafting the experience for them.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're sticking with the times, you're just able to continue to do that better every year.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm curious, at the end of the night, everything's like dying down, you're packing up your stuff.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_00: What are you hoping that the couple is feeling, their guests are feeling, or or thinking after the whole party is kind of concluded?
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you know, hopefully they ask for an encore.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I budget for that because the venues are sticklers.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, we need to be out at a certain time.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I might, okay, it's time for the last song or whatever.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_01: I won't announce it, but you know, maybe I'll get the crowd fired up one more time to to congratulate the happy couple and put on the last song.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_01: But I got another three to five minutes left uh in the timeline.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_01: So if they ask for an encore, especially if it's a rager, uh, I got one in my back pocket.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, uh, once things are winding down, uh, I want guests just to leave feeling like um they had an incredible time.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_01: And uh maybe they're off to an after party, and maybe they'll go there and they'll talk about how much fun they had.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I want to make sure that they put it all out there uh on the dance floor, or they celebrated exactly the way they wanted to.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um I like it.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_01: I like when clients come up to me and they they thank me, they give me a hug.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's a very it's very satisfying when things go well, and yeah, you know, you get a nice thank you at the end of the night, but it's not necessary.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_01: Uh cash, actually.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_01: Hold hard cash.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's the way.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um it's appreciated.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, well, Alex, this has been so so fun hearing your story, hearing how Dapper DJ started.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, from the tree house to the reception.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's been so fun hearing your story.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, where can people that are listening and watching find and follow along with what you're doing?
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, thanks for having me.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a pleasure.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_01: You can look us up uh at thedapperdjs.com or hit us up on Instagram at the Dapper DJs.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_01: Look forward to catching up with you when you reach out.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and all those links will be down in the description below.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want to connect and you're looking for the Dapper DJs or you loved Alex's story and want to connect with him about the work that he does in the wedding world, um, you can follow those links.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_00: And that is all for this episode.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_00: Alex, thanks again for being on.
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_00: We'll catch you guys next time on the preferred list.