My columns thus far have all been related to bands. Marketing bands. Hiring bands. Being in a band. So, I thought I’d flip the script and talk about the DJ business today.

For those that don’t already know, I run a local advertising agency (Route2 Advertising), play in a band (The Kid Icarus Project), and own a DJ business (DJ MIKE). People always ask how I do all these things like it’s some sort of chore — but I really love every aspect of what I do. So, it’s really more fun than it is work for me. But I digress.

Hopefully, that lends a little credibility. So, back to the DJ biz.

Over the past year or so, I have noticed a pretty large upswing in the number of spots around town booking DJs as entertainment. I like it. Of course, as a musician too, I still feel that nothing beats watching a live band do their thing, but not everyone feels that way — and that’s OK.

Tyler seems to be on a pretty great trend toward the arts. If you haven’t noticed, art installations are popping up all over town — even in the mall. Groups like Artists Nation on Facebook are gaining momentum every day. With all that art, comes more music (thank goodness), and that includes DJs — which seem to be coming out of the woodwork.

DJs, like bands, each have their own style. Their own flavor, if you will. Some of us beat match. Some of us stick to a playlist. Some of us lean more heavily on EDM (electronic dance music), some on hip-hop, some on Top 40. Some interact heavily with the crowd, some do not — very much like a live band, in a sense. In the end, the key is to find what gets the best reaction from the crowd and roll with it.

I’ve been very lucky to meet and work with several awesome guys in town, and I love the differences in their styles. Big shout out to locals DJ Cicero, DJ Austin Day and DJ Rufus.

Here’s the fun part — the universal fun part — in being a DJ. At every gig, there is that one person. That person who tells you “what you should play if you want everyone to dance.” That person has never DJ’d an event and is the equivalent of the guy who yells “FREEBIRD!” at every rock concert. Don’t get me wrong, song requests are great. But you have to realize there’s more to what we do than pushing “play.” We are watching the crowd. We are building energy. We are “riding BPMs.” Telling us to “PLAY IT NEXT” is very seldom going to win you any brownie points. (That’s what the tip jar is for, right?)

To sum it all up, I love that there are more and more places to catch local DJs spinning tunes in Tyler. I encourage you to get out and check some of them out. And although you may not view a live DJ in the same manner you would a live musician, please realize there is a method to his/her madness. It takes hours of honing the craft, hours of listening to new music of all types and a metric ton of people-pleasing to do what we do. Tyler is a pretty sweet place to live if you’ll get up off the couch and get out there! I hope to see you all out and about very soon.