THE DJ IS A ROCK STAR! It's an interesting time isn't it? Club life is on the rebound in Chicago and around the country. We are seeing Crobar take both New York and Chicago by storm. New clubs such as the Copa and Sound-Bar promise to raise the bar of the nightclub experience to a whole other level. We come together at these venues to mingle, socialize, pick up, and most importantly, DANCE! At the heart of any good club or party experience has always been the DJ. From the 60's through current day, people flock to venues that boast the best in sounds delivered by those who can slap down a record and play the songs we love to hear. What is also interesting now more than ever is the value we put on the guys and gals who can spin the records so well that make us move. Society has made the DJ a sort of God among club-goers and music appreciators around the world. "Today, DJs are the new Rock Stars!" States Rainer Zach, General Manager at Y. "They can demand top dollar to set foot in your club or venue and sell out a room more than most live performers."
What factors play into this? When did this come about? Jon Pfifer, Manager as Sound-Bar expands on this: "In the 80's and early 90's in pop culture you had Rap artists such as Run-DMC, and Salt N' Peppa appearing with their DJs in tow. Through this, Spinderella and Jam Master Jay became household names. They made the turntable a musical instrument. In the 90's through present day, with the proliferation of large club scenes here and overseas, people wanted to hear how the DJ would take music and work it into a journey for them." Adding to this is Manager Chris Albon from Hydrate. "A lot has been thrust on these people. People in the club don't even consider the fact that the DJ is just trying to give a musical perspective. If the music is bad, then the DJ gets blamed. However, when the selection is good and mixed together in a crowd pleasing manner then the DJ is a star."
This however, has taken away from the value of going to see bands and music singers live according to musical purists. These same people believe that DJ mixing isn't a true art form either. Nothing beats Patty LaBelle on stage at Ravinia according to those who are anti-DJ. This may be correct to some extent, but unless one has experienced the masters of turntable performance working their wonders then one should not judge. "It's about the journey, the same way a rock concert is." According to DJ Chris Eterno. "Performers give you their work and interpretations of other people's material in a 2 or 3 hour venue. DJs in a way do the same thing, but sometimes for 6 to 8 hours at a time nonstop." Most people who do the club scene will admit that whether they like a DJ or not that this task of journey delivery is quite difficult and not easy to attain. How does a DJ make 500 people in a club happy? I can seem impossible and at times mind boggling. Propers should be given to those who have the courage to get up in front of a large crowd and dare to deliver.
Another factor in the DJ drama is the "next step" as it is referred to: Remixing and producing. Most DJs currently in the business either have some sort of remixing or production credit to their names. Those who don't eventually hope to join those ranks. With the success that one achieves in this particular arena it becomes undeniable that "stardome" as it would be is quite close to the DJ. Remixing brings the true "performer" and the DJ together in a collaboration that, if done properly, will make both parties achieve that status we often hear........"Star!"