I have never played Whitman, Newton, or Mathis at any of my shows. BTW, to any show organizers out looking for DJs to play at their car show, don't hire wedding DJs, especially if it's all they do. Those are the ones who think the show is about them. There are some DJs who only do car shows or have experience in them.
I feel I must share this. At a car show I attended once, there was a decent DJ who was playing just about anything...and it was all moderately good. He had a ton of CD's and a laptop that he claimed had tons of music on it. He said to just walk up and ask him to play anything and he'd most definitely have and play it...like some kind of Genie DJ. I walked up and asked if he could play some 13th Floor Elevators. He had no clue who they were or what their sound was. If you DJ and boast to have everything, be prepared for anything!! Or just "spin" what you brought and don't announce that you can play whatever the people want......because the people want what's only available on the 13th Floor!
I certainly don't have everything, I ask for requests and I say if I don't have it, I'll get it for the next time. Thanks for the 13th Floor Elevators suggestion. Now I must obtain. kinda like a early Stones sound.
I've had this little number in my collection and I think it's cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf-ZYwKnKbs
I go to a lot of shows. I can think of a few that have had bands play, but can't think of any that had a DJ though I'm sure I've been to shows with a DJ. those would be the DJ's I like the best, the ones where I didn't even notice they were there. That's not to say DJ's at shows are bad, but as stated by others, they should be in the background and not in your face.
Exactly. The 13thFE had that great sound like the Sonics or Them had! Music won't EVER be that good again! I agree that the music/DJ should be at a volume that you don't notice until you're suddenly blown away by the soundtrack playing. Good/lively music puts folks in the same feel good mood! Most probably wouldn't like me DJ-ing a car show. If you want to add more diversity to your arsenal try these: Back From The Grave (all Volumes....great rock'n'roll compilation) That's What They Want - Jook Joint Blues (great blues compilation) Surf Legends (and Rumours) Lost Legends of Surf Guitar That's just the tip of it!! Josie Kreuzer is great but it's a whole other feeling to dig into that old sound that really moves! And though the original can't be beat, the Yardbirds help Sonny Boy put a different spin on it. No sense in replying again so I'll just add this...
Best advice is play what the guys paying you wanna hear. The Blues Brothers figured that one out when they played "Rawhide". LOL
I saw those guys a couple of times and they were just awesome in person. One time, they were at a cruise night playing on the back of a flatbed truck. The lead singer, Darren Spears, was later killed by robbers as he was camping. Sad ending.
A pool party with the 13th Floor Elevators...cool. That clip is from Dick Clark's "Where the Action Is"..I used to watch it in the afternoons when I came home from school...all lip synchs..but at least you could see what the bands you heard on your transistor radio looked like. The guy in the plaid shirt is Roky Ericson...great talent..unscrupulous people fed him so much acid he flipped out. The girl playing w/ the other girls ponytail at 1:03 is pretty funny.
You got some good taste and your set up looks good!! so just feel the vibe of the show and roll with it. and Good Luck
I say play some 50s rock n roll, surf, 60s garage, rockabilly, and even some 40s-early 50s rhythm and blues. I understand that not everyone likes the same old 50s songs, they do get boring, but why dont you play 50s-early 60s era songs that people dont always hear? maybe try some obscure songs rather than "teenager in love" by dion. People think the 50s are boring and square because they never get a chance to hear the rare songs. Older music has a more mellow tone, and its smoother, which is easier to hear in the background rather than newer music, which can be very trebly and loud to begin with, no matter the volume, if that makes sense. What im trying to say is that you can be diverse and have variety without incorporating new music. People in the 50s didnt listen to the same Oldies but Goodies record over and over! I know one thing that scares me away from a car show is loud, post 60s music. It just doesnt work as background music IMO
I do some of this and have had great success with instrumental guitar music. Some familiar stuff, like Ventures and Duane Eddy (albiet 'B' sides) and plenty of Los Straightjackets, Southern Culture on the Skids, Hellecasters, Red Elvises, etc. Real upbeat and well crafted stuff to set a fun mood, that's accessable to all. But yeah, Rule #1 is to keep a lid on the volume - who wants to strain with every ounce of energy to hear someone explain how they routed the hardlines to and from their tri-power, or how to get back to the motel...
Personally anything from the mid to late '70's is good. Particularly any song from the "Dazed and Confused" movie soundtrack. Gets me goin' everytime, also some George Thurgood never hurt anybody.
I'd love to hear some blues once in a while, maybe some soul music, something different than what's always played. Drag out some stuff people haven't heard and surprise them. Go really crazy and mix a couple Tom Waits songs in...
I DJ 1 or 2 shows a year but used to do more.I found that blues,late 60's early 70's and southern rock was the best mix.Often had that same response" Thanks for playin some Heep" or some other band that gets no air time.Playing tracks from bands that the stations dont play.Whiskey Train from Procol Harum or the like.Always as background music,never try to overwhelm the crowd. Then there are the asshats who think they need to hear some 50's stuff and crank up the stereo in the their car with the trunk lid open.Usually a group as most individuals by themselves wouldnt have the balls to do it.
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