Are car cruise DJ's too loud...or am I just getting too old?

Sooooo.....it's not just me, that's a relief!

Last night I was trying to have a conversation with a nice gentleman who had brought his original and in need of some TLC 1933 Chevy to the local cruise with a For Sale sign. The DJ was so loud that we could barely communicate. Then the DJ decided he needed to make some obnoxiously loud announcements about buying temporary tatoos from one of the vendors.....arghhhh...I just want to know where this guy has been hiding this neat old car all these years, and how much he's expecting to sell it for !!!!

I finally learned that the car was fairly local and could be bought for $7500....but it took some screaming and a lot of "huh", "what" and "sorry say it agains".

We all know the songs and can sing along...we've heard them so many times, why can't they just lower it to a decible level that doesn't cause brain damage to squirrels and chipmunks?

 

You are right ,turn it down.

 

I went round and round about this at my swap meet/car show.
You REALLY need music at a show...there's no "life" without the music in the background.
That being said, I hate loud music too. The problem is that you have to have it so the people at the back of the show can hear it. And from a promoter perspective, it also serves the purpose of making announcements. You have GOT to be able to communicate with the people on the field.
I've got two speakers, and 200 feet of cable to try and space them out. At some point I will have two more speakers, and a generator so I can set up in the middle of the show and project it from the center, rather than trying to hit one end zone from the opposite end zone.
Music choices? I'm so fucking over that doo-wop shit I could puke. If I hear "The Car Went Beep" or the "Electric Slide" one more time, I'm climbing a belltower with my gun.

Fast country music, lots of '60s, '70s and '80s stuff from the Doors, Stones, ZZ Top, George Thorogood, Blues Brothers sound track, Johnny Cash, AC/DC, Billy Idol...'60s Elvis, some more modern stuff that sounds '60s like the White Stripes, Lemon Heads...Reverend Horton Heat, Brian Setzer...Lots and lots and lots of guitar. I try to look for familiar songs, and familiar sounds, and try to have a couple of songs that someone will like, no matter what kind of music they usually listen to. And some funny shit like the original "Big 10 Inch" by Bull Moose Jackson, Colorado Cool Aid by Johnny Paycheck, "Convoy," theme to Hawaii 5-0, and I'm working on getting the audio from School House Rock ("I'm just a Bill" and "Conjunction Junction.")
I think I've got about half a dozen '50s songs: Great Balls of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin'...a couple by Ray Charles...one or two by Chuck Berry...The Ventures...

I get compliments from a lot of people, young and old, which is what my goal is. A little something for everyone to make the day a little more fun.

Just gotta work on getting the speakers higher, and a couple more of them.

-Brad

 

If your going to a car cruise, you are old.

 

The music at Mooneyes wasn't just loud but distorted. I agree with everyone here but "IF" the music is loud at least get some decent speakers to play it with.

 

If I want music I'll go to a concert-turn it down or turn it off. I'm there for the cars and want to be able to talk to people without shouting. I will always park as far away from the damn dj as possible.

 

the only thing worse than loud music at a cruise is a DJ who thinks it's cool to talk like Wolfman Jack...

 

Sheesh - nothing a pair of sidecutters can't fix

 

Been to Skips in Clayton to I see.

 

Yes, in most cases too loud. Two of my favorite shows are the two nostalgia drags/car shows per year, put on by the Capital Area Rods in upstate NY, a field full of pre 68 rods and customs, and front engine dragsters and early gassers blasting through the eighth/quarter in the back ground. Now thats music!

 

Sorry Brad (of course music is necessary; I'm a DJ!) you might be a little too personally invested there.

I don't pull my car onto the dance floor at the bar of the local Holiday Inn just to give it "life".

I will never understand:
A) why DJ's are even AT a cruise
B) why they insist upon playing 50's music, when 60's would be more golden-age-of-hot-rodding period correct
C) why they play it too loud to be enjoyed

And if making announcements is so important, guess what; it would be a hell of a lot easier to hear them if there wasn't some lame DJ blaring this so-called "music" there.

Must be those Hudson River PCB's in the water or something that causes such widespread lameness around here.

Thanks for reminding me why I'm in no hurry to finish my street hot rod project. I'll be at the drags.

 

Yes, the DJs are damn loud, but my gripe is more with the selection of songs than the volume. Not only do they play the lamest 50's music like Dion (not when he was with the Belmonts), but they don't even play the original tracks! They're like new synthesized, elevatorized renditions of the old songs! BLAHHHH!!!

I used to work for a law firm that did music licencing, and one of our clients was a company that would buy the rights to old songs, have the original artists come back and remake their old songs, then sell the CD's labeled with "as performed by the original artists"! Some of these guys are so old they can hardly wipe their own ass, let alone sing a song on key...brutal to listen to.

When I'm at a cruise night, I don't care if they invite cars from the 70s or 80's too, I want to hear GOOD doo wop and rockabilly. REO Speedwagon just doesn't have the same effect

 

Car show music sucks! Endless doowop, poodle-skirt stuff that really drives away younger people. I am so sick and tired of the DJ's that chatter non-stop, then play that 50's crap for the geriatric crowd in the lawn chairs. (don't even get me started on those stupid dolls).

I am convinced that when all those geezers begin to die off the classic car shows will diminish with them because they drove away all the young blood with their crap music.

BTW, I am a ripe old 50-something years. Yeah, I remember that music from my childhood, but 50's music was oldies but goodies even when I was listening to it on my AM transistor radio in the sixties. Now, that stuff is prehistoric and the oldies stations are playing 80's music!

Can't even get my 20 year old to attend because the music blows so bad. He and his friends love the cars but hate the whole "cruise thing".

 

How cool would it be if the "DJ" reserved an AM station like they do at some drive-ins? That way he could have a "reasonable volume" next to his little booth/stand, and the owners of the cars could dial in the station on their own car stereos and adjust their volume accordingly?

 

I can agree that it is too loud,volume -wise. I like to talk, visit,not listen to a 'show" I do occasional 'dj' duties at some events,and the first thing I tell orgainizers,is I play ALL kinds of music. Yes people are expecting Do Wop,Beachboys etc., but Hank(s) Waylon,blues,bluegrass,even Mexican,and German tunes to make a good eclectic mix. The next thing I tell them is I play for 'background" not loud!! I do make announcements,but don't play'personality jock",with blabber about trivia,weather etc. Even then I will get complaints ,about 'ethnic" music..and of course,the grumpy old man,parking right next to the speaker about 'too loud".. the last point is I don't play requests,dedications,or notes scribbled about 'hey look at my car!!" Bottom line is you can't please everyone,so I don't try..

 

I was a DJ for several years (mostly Western Swing).
And I always got compliments - not for what I played but for not playing it too loud.

On the other hand, for some strange reason you don´t play Western Swing blaring loud anyways.

Most DJs just don´t understand that they get paid to entertain poeple and provide a service. That´s it - nothing else.

They think they are stars. Dang, all they do is changing records. No one comes to a carshow because of a "famous" DJ.

I told one of those wannabes, that his job on the next show will be given to an MP3 player.

Worst thing on our anual dragrace is this WWII airplane hangar.
They let the band and the DJs playing in that hangar till blood is coming out of your ears.

This building has the accustic of a giant Echolette.
Not only that it is darn loud you hear every note at least 5 times.

It would take 10 Horses to drag me in there, but most poeple just don´t care.

It woud be so nice to have the Band on an old stake bed truck - OUTSIDE OF THIS HANGAR! Also the DJ. Or even better - no DJ at all. I want to talk and listen to engine sound.

My car is a 1941 in a (let´s say) 1953 condition and that´s how i like my music. 30s to 50s mybe some 60s Music would be the right "frame" for a car show. I think newer music would be displaced like newer cars. But that´s only my personal taste.

just my ct2

Frank

 

I thought it was just me..I've played drums for 25 years so probably have lost some hearing, and I still have to go to the outer perimeter of the show to talk. after a while I can't stand it anymore and I have to bolt...

How many times can you stand "Wake up little Suzie" at 100 decibels?

 

YES THEY ARE! HRP

 

Okay---Another old farts opinion. Yes, they play it too loud!!! If you can't talk to and hear other people in the area where the cars are setting, then its TOO DAMN LOUD!!! Secondly--I'm so sick of 50's music I could JUST SHIT!! A mix of good music from different era's would be a nice break. Hell, even a bit of country thrown into the mix would be great.

 

There´s nothing wrong with 50s music but what I see from this thread the DJs in the US only seem to have the soundtrack of American Graffiti.

There is so much great music from this years - most of it you probably never heard if you are not really in to it.

But I can feel your pain if you have to listen to that "Best of Pudleskirt tunes" all the time.

Frank

 

The problem with the music selectiuon is that most of these "DJs" run to wal-mart and buy their tunes. They don't want to invest the time and energy to find the b-sides and the lesser heard tunes. If they aren't going to put out the effort to find different songs by well known artist, then they sure aren't going to find lesser known songs by lesser known artists.

As I stated before, our club pretty much handles our own music. We play a variety and pride ourselves on throwing out some tunes that most people have never heard. Anytime you have the chance to reach a wide audience,then you need to use that opportunity to educate, even if it's only to introduce them to a new song or two.

Even us dumb hillbillies figured out how the volume control works on a PA system. If you need to make an announcement that everyone should hear, then turn the volume up and announce it, then turn it back down to play the music.

The car show DJ is an employee, just like the people who work at the venue of the cruise in. If they aren't taking care of the customers the way they should, then complain to their boss, just like you would if you get bad service from a waitress or a cashier. Make it clear that you aren't happy with the music selection, the volume or whatever is the problem, then point out how many cruise-ins are happening and that there are other places you can go. If the cruise is happening at a restaurant, then make sure you have a cup from there in your hand while you talk to the manager.

 

Ahh, you're just getting too old.

 

What Did You Say!!!!!!!!!

 

Around here, they're WAY TOO LOUD. I like loud music, but this is ridiculous. My kids won't even go with me because the music is too loud!

50's music is fine...it is the selection of 50's music played that I have a problem with. It is never the really "rockin" 50's music...just a bunch of top 10 slow junk. Slow junk sounds really bad at 250db. And, most of the cars locally are musclecars from the 60's...why no 60's music? At least throw in some surf tunes.

Stop yelling "Tell Laura I love her"!

 

yup, same 'round here too.

 

They can play the music as loud as they want as long as its KNUCKEL DRAGER!

 

hell I'm 50 sumthin and I hate the shit from the 50's. The tunes suck, and for the most part you get dj's that play louder than the sound system can handle so all ya get is distortion on top of shitty music. If they played stuff from the 60's or maybe even 70's and it sounded decent they might just get some younger people involved and draw better crouds that just want to look

 

HMMMMM.....Here's my 2 peso's opinion from an old fart. I left the fucking show because of the loud music and the B/S the DJ was yapping about. There was no way you could even get away from it. They had two "Sound" trucks set up in the middle of the street a block apart, so there was no way you could get away from the "Noise".

If it's an open car show, then damn it, that means music from the 60's too, and even the 70's and 80's had some good stuff, and it wasn't all Rock n Roll either.

Will I return? Not to that place, which was last week end down in Galesburg, Ill. Crap there wasn't even that many 50's cars there anyway. I really don't care about seeing the latest Mustang, or Camero's or jacked up Chevelle's.

If I want to hear old tunes, that's why I have a radio. Otherwise I just drive and listen to the sounds of my exhaust, and the tires a singing a tune I like to hear!!!!!!



HellRaiser

 

In my experience the DJ's are almost always too loud.

 

Dreadfull oldie's, worn out. Cranked up suck even more. Give me some Rolling Stones over that sock-hop stuff.