Below is the playlist from my weekly radio show on commercial-free community radio. This is in no way a reflection of the kind of music that I typically play at a wedding or other private event. For more about the fascinating differences between DJing live events and DJing on the radio please scroll down to the end of this post.
Complete listing of all my playlists are available here
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=krfc&djuid=80
Complete listing of all my playlists are available here
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=krfc&djuid=80
1:01pm
Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry “Hole In The Wall”from Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection CD Comp (Smithsonian Folkways 1996)
1:21pm Halden Wofford & the Hi Beams “Pill Poppin Country Wierdo” from Grade A Country CD Album (HiBeams.com 2003) L
1:44pm Creedence Clearwater Revival “Cross Tie Walker” from Creedence Country CD Album (Fantasy Records 2004)
1:50pm Carolann Solebello “Brooklyn In The Rain” from Glass of desire CD Album (Elizabeth Records 2009)
2:17pm Billie Joe & Norah “I Am Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail” from Foreverly MP3 Album (Reprise 2013)
2:49pm 7 Seconds Of Love “Soupy George” from Danger Is Dangerous MP3 Single (2010 7 Seconds of Love 2010)
3:06pm Rufus Thomas “Can Your Monkey Do The Dog” from Very Best of Rufus Thomas: Remastered MP3 Single (Stax 2007)
3:11pm Kenny Wayne Shepherd “King's Highway” from Live! In Chicago CD Album (Roadrunner Records 2010)
3:38pm Buddy Guy “A Man Of Many Words” from 20th Century Masters: The Best Of Buddy Guy CD Album (MCA 2001)
3:57pm Echo & the Bunnymen “People Are Strange” from Bring On The Dancing Horses Digital‑Library Single (Sire)
It's always so striking to me how the energy level can vary so much from one event to the other. Some audiences will make it seem like they will dance to anything, still others can really challenge a seasoned Disc Jockey to feel like they have delivered a great performance.
The very best thing about DJing for a live audience is the real-time feedback they give you. No words need to be spoken, 50 - 500 people cannot help but let you know how the party is going. This leads to a certain trust and understanding between audience and DJ. This is called "reading a crowd" and is an absolute blast when you are good at it. I also like to encourage people to approach me throughout the night to make requests. This helps to really hone in on what the crowd might is calling for.
DJing on the radio is totally different. No crowd. No Feedback. There might be a handful of phone calls from people who are listening. They might offer a few encouraging words to go along with a question or a request here and there.
I DJ on a non-commercial community radio station which is even different from standard commercial radio. I have total freedom over what I play on daytime radio as long as its FCC compliant and not too aggressive. Some of the more adventurous music is reserved for shows later at night. I take my work and music selections very seriously, I work very hard to play music you won't hear on most radio stations. This includes a lot of local music and other seldom heard tracks from more well known artists.
Community radio allows me to really explore how music can go together and how to transition from one style to another. It's also a lot of fun to play one song and then play something completely different that the listening audience could not have predicted but will in my estimation enjoy.
The biggest difference between DJing for a live audience and an unseen audience in radio land is the difference in music. DJing for a live audience typically demands that you play more recognizable dance friendly music that will appeal to a wide audience. Community radio is a much more open format in which I can play the most amazing music without any consideration to whether or not a song is danceable.
Djing both to live audiences and on community radio is to me what I believe to be the best of two closely related but different worlds. I consider myself very lucky to have one foot in each of these two realms. Experience in one always compliments the other making me a better all around DJ and entertainer with every passing week.