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DJ Life

Best David Bowie Party Song Ever

David Bowie passed last night but his legacy lives on.  His music has been a staple in our wedding and corporate event dinner and dance sets for years.  Just a couple that are in our music catalog:

  • Golden Years
  • Heroes
  • Kooks
  • Let’s Dance
  • Modern Love
  • Oh! You Pretty Things
  • Space Oddity
  • Under Pressure
  • Ziggy Stardust

However, now that our 20 something wedding clients are products of the 90s era, very few find their way on to our couples’ music request lists anymore.  Except for two.  You can probably guess which ones.  They are “Let’s Dance” and “Under Pressure”.  Both songs are upbeat (although the latter is a faster tempo).  But if you had to pick just one, what would be your best David Bowie party song ever?  Which one would rock your party the best?

David Bowie DJ Songs

From a DJ perspective, I have to go with “Under Pressure”.  The tempo (114 beats per minute) is perfect to transition between a dinner set into a dance set. You have the noticeable bass riff that has guests usually thinking you’re going into “Ice Ice Baby”.  However, I’ve found that in a wedding set, you can keep the older folks dancing longer with this David Bowie tune because they know the lyrics rather than going with Vanilla Ice’s knock-off old school rap track.  The key to this tune is not to stay with it too long.  If you get to the bridge at about 2 minutes in, the beat drops out for about 20 seconds (which can seem like an eternity for your average dance crowd) and then the track changes in feel and can be tricky getting out of without letting it play to the very end.

The best remix I’ve found to date for a wedding/corporate application is one by DiscoTech.  The song stays true to the original and is a quick 2 minutes and 30 seconds with a DJ friendly intro and outro fade that makes it easy to transition into whatever genre you want to go to next.  What are your thoughts?  Do you agree with this pick?  Or do you think another song should top the list?  Have a better remix of Under Pressure?  Comment below.

Company Holiday Parties | Ideas for Throwing a Memorable Holiday Party

As we move into the holiday season,  we’re pumped up at B-Boy Productions!  Part of it is just because there is a genuine shift in the atmosphere.  People tend to get excited as we move into a time of family get-togethers and reflection on the past year.  New holiday music albums are released, Starbucks holiday drinks and….holiday parties are thrown!

Throwing a Memorable Holiday Party

We’ve seen a resurgence of company holiday parties over the last few years which is a good thing.  Why should these parties matter and why should companies do them?  Here’s our top 3 reasons:

*IT SENDS A MESSAGE TO EMPLOYEES…that you, as a company, care.  With the economy being erratic at times over the years, this gives employees a feeling that things are  OK in their company world.  It also shows that the company is willing to spend money, which could otherwise pad the company’s bottom line, to lift company morale.

*IT ALLOWS EMPLOYEES TO LET THEIR GUARD DOWN…and just be them.  It is t a great way to see how down to earth everyone is OUTSIDE the office.  This also has been known to create bonding moments among employees alike.  We hear these types of comments all the time in our holiday party debriefs with clients.

*IT’S HEALTHY TO CELEBRATE…how the year went.  If it was a good, it’s easy to do.  But even if it is a down year, there is still victory in what was learned through it.  Management can use it as an opportunity to encourage employees to look foward to the following year.  But most of all, it always good to celebrate your team.

With all that said, we don’t take these events lightly.  We try to create an atmosphere that adds to those things and make the event one to remember.  So what are some of our ideas to make these events stand out?  Glad you asked!

*PROGRAM THE NIGHT LIKE YOU WOULD A PRODUCTION!  This might seem silly at first but there’s a ton of truth in this.  You want the night to have ebb and flow, encouraging guests to stay throughout the entire event.  There is no “formula” or websites dedicated to holiday parties (like The Knot or Wedding which help wedding couples) so this is where we come in.  Just a few examples of ways we try to keep it flowing:
– Don’t do all your raffles in the beginning or at end of the night
– Come up with creative ways to entertain during dinner (we have a ton of these things in our arsenal)
– Holiday entertainment should be more than just Holiday music

*ADD A PHOTO BOOTH!  This is the perfect complement to your main entertainment.  You can utilize this as guests arrive, during dinner and/or while the dancing is going on.  The print-outs also make a great party favor for your guests to take home. Talk about letting loose and breaking down barriers; nothing does that quite like a photo booth.  In our case, we have two types of booth styles and we also give you all the photos on a jump drive to use as you wish (blackmail possibly? ha!).

*ADD KARAOKE!  This can definitely take your party to another level. It also can get people out of their shell pretty quickly.  We’ve done “battle of the departments”, “women vs men”, and various other types of karaoke party competitions.  You also may find some hidden talent within your company (and some amazing YouTube material to post).  If you’ve never had this at your party, you don’t know what you’re missing!

*THE RAFFLE MUSIC!  If you’re not careful, the raffles can suck all the energy out of the room (accomplishing the exact opposite of what you’d think would happen). Why?  Because there is no musical help here.  The average DJ just waits until this portion is over and then resumes with the holiday or dancing music.  In some cases, the raffle can take 15-20 minutes.  Talk about a buzz kill (pun intended).  We utilize “audio stingers” during each raffle pull and as winners make their way to the stages.  These are short 10-20 second pre-produced clips of songs (typically the hook) like Dancing Queen, Respect, Movin’ On Up, Jeopardy Theme, Sexy and I Know It,  Roar, etc. and we play off the vibe of prizes being raffled and those who win them.  We have about 100-200 of these ready to go and we can fire them at any time.

*WALKING MUSIC!  At most company holiday parties, the CEO or someone on the management team gives a few words either as a welcome or in the middle of the night.  This is a great opportunity to honor him or her with some “walking music” as they make their way to the stage.  Think about the Oscars.  There’s always walking music as speakers make their way to the stage.  The song choice can range from comical (Rocky Theme, Superman Theme, I’m Too Sexy, etc.) to serious (instrumental music).

*GAMES & SKITS!  I know what you’re thinking…these will be CHEESY!  Well, surprise, the ones we do are not.  These can run the gamut as we’re constantly adding new and fresh games and skits to the mix.  Everything from “Holiday Trivia” to “Celebrity Sightings” to “Build A Snowman” to “Name that Guitar Riff” – this is just a small snippet of what we can do.

At the end of the day, our goal is to have company employees be able to forget what’s happening in their world with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and just enjoy one another for the few hours we’re there.  If we do it right, we’ll have helped create moments that will be talked about for years to come.   Let us help you do that.  Contact us for availability.

 

 

 

DJ Duane-Bull Wedding at Sandestin Hilton on March 15 2014

It was a sunny and great day for a wedding at Sandestin Hilton Beach Golf Resort and Spa for Johnny Bull and Danielle Elliott. The Hilton wedding team handled the coordination and catering. The bride’s bouquet and the arbor flowers were provided by It’s A Perfect Day.  Photography was done by one of our favorites, Tay Gray Photography.

I was the Emcee and DJ Josh B mixed the tunes. The ceremony took place on the beach and we were in the Diamond Ballroom for the reception. The mother of the bride and the bride’s aunt took care of the design/décor and truly did a fantastic job! The décor colors consisted of blues, silvers, greens, and white. It was used throughout the room in the form of peacock feathers and other materials.

HIlton Sandestin Weddings DIY Wedding Decor

HIlton Sandestin Weddings DIY Wedding Table Decor
Something that was a little different for us with this particular event was the fact that Danielle, the bride, is hearing impaired. Not to worry, we were able to communicate through phone text throughout the planning process. The day of the event I worked with one of the bridesmaids who knew sign language. Danielle was so excited that nothing was going to get in the way on her day!

Danielle and Johnny set the party atmosphere right away by using “Crazy In Love” by Beyonce as their Grand Entrance song. From there, they went with the East Coast format where we go immediately from the Grand Entrance into the First Dance. They chose “Memories of Us” by Keith Urban. That was followed by the Father/Daughter dance to the song “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw. The Mother/Son Dance had a little twist in that the bride and her grandfather joined Johnny and his mother as they danced to Izzy K’s version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”. DJ Josh B then played a cool medley for the Bridal Party Dance of “Cupid Shuffle”, “The Electric Slide”, “Apache”, and the “Wobble”.

We went into dinner so everyone could catch their breath and then transitioned into the toasts. Each speech was heartfelt and there were barely any dry eyes left in the room once they concluded. After the toasts, it was time to get our groove on. DJ Josh B got the crowd up on their feet and out onto the dance floor. We partied the night away and ended on a song Danielle and Johnny had pre-selected called “Stealing Cinderella” by Chuck Wicks.

The music was memorable, the dancing was hillarious (great job groomsmen!) and the bride and groom couldn’t have looked any happier. That is what we like to see  DJ Josh B and I are so happy and honored that we were able to be a part of Danielle and Johnny’s day. We wish both of them many years of happiness!

Winter 2013 Event Recap – in Photos!

So far the winter season has been filled with unforgettable moments — from the sweet to the silly to the somewhat surreal. Here’s a recap of some of the fun things we’ve seen:

The beachfront marriage proposal where he washed her feet

The beachfront marriage proposal where he washed her feet!

 

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Tiny dancer

Tiny dancer

 

Daddy - Daughter dance

Daddy – Daughter dance

 

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Flying ties ...

Flying ties …

 

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Party rocking in the house tonight!

Party rocking in the house tonight!

 

Scantily clad women in huge hamster balls floating on the blue-lit pool?

Scantily clad women in huge hamster balls floating on the blue-lit pool?

 

You KNOW it's a party when the giraffes show up!

You KNOW it’s a party when the giraffes show up!

We hope that you’re enjoying the winter season as much as we are! From all of the team at B-Boy Productions Inc., we wish you the brightest of holiday celebrations!

 

 

 

 

DJ Spotlight: Graeme Cowgill

This week we’re excited to brag about one of our own – Graeme Cowgill. Graeme has been with BBoy since 2008, and has been one of our most-requested DJs for quite some time! He’s based out of California, and in true Cali fashion is one of the most “chill” people you could ever meet. We’re excited to share some fun facts and insights into the very tall man behind the DJ booth.

Graeme Cowgill

Q: Why did you decide to be a DJ?

A: I actually just got into it because my wife needed a DJ for an event, and I had a significant musical background – my mom used to be in operas. I have an eclectic music taste, so I decided I would give it a shot. I stayed with it because I just really enjoy using this skill that I’m blessed with. Wedding coordinators and venue people aren’t always treated the best, so I enjoy using the platform I have to really get to know them and make them feel valued.

Q: What’s your favorite part about being a DJ?

A: I enjoy DJing, and I’m not bad at it, but I’m certainly not the greatest. My favorite part about doing so many events is being able to connect with the audience, the bridal party and the bride and groom. I really let their personalities run the show. With weddings, the entire event is based on the relationship between bride and groom, and that needs to be carried out through the whole experience. I love the formalities of weddings when personalities come out.

Graeme Cowgill

Q: What’s the weirdest song request that you’ve ever gotten?

A: One time, an eight-year old requested Peter, Paul, and Mary. It would have just murdered the party, but I had no idea how to respond. I didn’t want to say no because it would’ve ruined her life, but to say yes, the wedding would have just ended right there. “Puff the Magic Dragon” just wasn’t going to kick it right then. I didn’t play it.

Q: Ever witnessed any strange or terrible wedding toasts?

A: The best and weirdest toast was when one guy during an open mic toast said to the bride and groom, “It just looks like you’re meant for him and that he’s meant for you. So it’s kinda like ‘Matrix Revolution.’” And then he sat down.

Q: What do you do when you’re not DJing?

A: I work for FCA Volleyball in Southern California. I meet with different coaches and, during the summer, manage a team of forty-two interns. I also used to be a youth pastor in the panhandle of Florida, which is where I grew used to being in front of a large crowd.

FCA volleyball tournament

FCA volleyball tournament

Q: Any good stories from those days?

A: Oh, so many. One time I let some kids borrow my truck to pick up a gumball machine, and they brought it back absolutely covered in paint. They said they got in a paint war, which I didn’t even know existed.

Q: Any advice to DJs or wannabe DJs out there?

A: From an events perspective, the biggest thing is to be someone people feel comfortable with. The vendor, wedding coordinator and DJ – we are all hired so that the bride and groom can relax on their big day and not have to worry about logistics. Meet and talk with the bride and groom before the event. Establish a relationship so that they know they’re taken care of and so that you’re taken care of in the unusual event of something going wrong. There’s a lot of grace established when there’s a relationship.

Lastly, I used to be super nervous because I was responsible for so much on someone’s big day. I used to have my announcements printed out, but the quicker I went from having it printed to just being myself was always good. I realized that people aren’t buying my announcement skills; they’re buying my personality. So I let that show instead of trying to be perfect.