Matthew’s 30th Birthday Party - Private Home, Rancho Santa Fe

Sprinkles cupcakes were the perfect way to celebrate 30 years for Matthew.

On this night, Matthew celebrated his 30th birthday among family and friends. It was also a rather unique day because it fell on the exact same day as his Bar Mitzvah nearly two decades ago.

It was a fun night that included a lot of dancing, as well as the playing of “Remix to Ignition.” Not only because it’s such a dope song, but because Matthew’s cousin was in the video with R. Kelly. True story.

Here’s the setlst:

• Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots
• Carl Carlton - She's a Bad Mamma Jamma
• Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy (Select Mix Remix)
• Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Edge Remix)
• Pet Shop Boys - Domino Dancing (Edge Remix)
• Brick - Dazz (Hot Classics Remix)
• Justin Timberlake - Senorita
• Emotions - Best Of My Love
• Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
• Mark Ronson f./Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk
• Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music
• Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
• Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It
• Natalie La Rose, Jeremih - Somebody (Select Mix Remix)
• Sister Sledge - We Are Family
• Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Something (Hot Classics Remix)
• Earth Wind & Fire - September
• Flo Rida - Low
• Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone
• Nelly - Ride Wit Me
• Beyonce - Crazy In Love
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Thrift Shop
• Taylor Swift vs Lauryn Hill - Blank Space (DJ Skillz Throwback Blend)
• Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)
• Jason Derulo, 2 Chainz - Talk Dirty (Select Mix Remix)
• George Clinton - Atomic Dog (Hot Classics Remix)
• Justin Timberlake - Take Back The Night (Extended)
• The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face (Promo Only Intro Edit)
• Luther Vandross - Never Too Much (Extended)
• Will Smith - Men In Black
• Usher f./Nicki Minaj - She Came To Give It To You (Promo Only Clean Edit)
• Maroon 5 - Sugar
• Jason Derulo - Want To Want Me
• Pitbull, Chris Brown - Fun (Select Mix Remix)
• Daft Punk f./Pharrell Williams - Get Lucky (Radio Edit)
• Flo Rida f./Robin Thicke & Verdine White - I Don't Like It, I Love It
• Chris Brown - Fine China (Instrumental)
• Beatles - Birthday
• Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life (Select Mix Remix)
• Sublime - What I Got
• Naughty By Nature - Hip Hop Hooray
• Toto - Rosanna
• The Beatles - Can't Buy Me Love
• Beatles - Twist and Shout
• Isley Brothers - Shout (Parts 1 & 2)
• Michael Jackson - Don't Stop Til' You Get Enough
• Markie Mark & The Funky Bunch - Good Vibrations (Select Mix Remix)
• The Commodores - Lady (Hot Classics Remix)
• Phil Collins - Sussudio (Select Mix Remix)
• Haddaway - What Is Love (Select Mix Remix)
• Bizarre Inc - I'm Gonna Get You
• Pink - Raise Your Glass
• Chris Brown - Yeah 3X
• K.C. & the Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight
• The Jacksons - Blame It On The Boogie
• Bell Biv Devoe - Poison
• Mariah Carey - Emotions (Select Mix Remix)
• Ja Rule - Livin' It Up
• Barenaked Ladies - One Week (Select Mix Remix)
• Third Eye Blind - Never Let You Go (Select Mix Remix)
• Dave Matthews Band - Ants Marching
• R. Kelly - Ignition (Remix)
• Jay-Z - H to the Izzo
• Silento - Watch Me
• Tupac - California Love
• Walk The Moon - Shut Up And Dance (Select Mix Remix)
• Disclosure ft Sam Smith - Latch (G Duppy Reggae Remix)
• Jay Z ft. Kanye West - N***** In Paris
• Mark Ronson f./Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk
• Andy Grammer - Honey, I'm Good (Select Mix Remix)

2015 Chew The Scene - Corky McMillan Events Center

Chew the Scene is the the official kick off event for the 2015 San Diego Asian Film Festival.

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San Diego DJ Justin Kanoya spins tunes at Chew the Scene, the kick off event for the 2015 San Diego Asian Film Festival.

The 2015 San Diego Asian Film Festival season has kicked off and is in full swing. The event that launches this month long celebration is Chew The Scene, which took place on October 1, 2015 at the Corky McMillin Events Center in Liberty Station.

At Chew the Scene, festival organizers presented previews of this year’s films and also put together a silent auction of prizes donated from local businesses. But the real feature of the event is the food. More than 20 San Diego based restaurants were on hand to provide bites of their fare.

It’s the perfect blend of food and film.

Here’s the setlist from my soundtrack for the evening.

• Angelo Ferreri - Revolution  
• Cosmo Klein ft YNOT - When Doves Cry  
• LOVRA - Love Sensation (Leave Remix)
• Lillywood & Robin Schulz - Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Radio Edit)
• Cazzette ft Terri B - Blind Heart
• Ariana Grande - One Last Time (Gazzo Remix)  
• Pharrell ft Jay-Z - Frontin (DJ Miles Isla Bootleg)
• Tinashe ft Iggy Azalea - All Hands On Deck (Buck Rodgers Remix)  
• The Bucketheads - The Bomb (Select Mix Remix)
• The Gap Band - Party Train (Hot Classics Remix)
• Michael Jackson - Working Day and Night (Hot Classics Mix)
• Peaches & Herb - Shake Your Groove Thing
• Demi Lovato - Cool For The Summer (Cahill Remix)
• Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc (Joe Maz & Adam Foster Remix)  
• Zedd, Selena Gomez - I Want You To Know (Select Mix Remix)
• Bastille - Pompeii (Promo Only Audien Intro Edit)
• Florence & The Machine - Ship To Wreck
• Elle King - Ex's & Oh's
• Ella Henderson - Ghost (Oliver Nelson Remix) 
• Heavy D & The Boyz - We Got Our Own Thang (Select Mix Remix)
• De La Soul - Me Myself & I
• Coolio - 1-2-3-4 (Sumpin' New) (Select Mix Remix)
• Mariah Carey - Emotions (Select Mix Remix)
• Duran Duran - Union Of The Snake (Edge Remix)
• The Whispers - Rock Steady (Hot Classics Remix)
• Chris Brown - Fine China (Instrumental)
• Timeflies f./Natalie La Rose - Worse Things Than Love 
• TLC - Creep (Remix)
• Taylor Swift vs Lauryn Hill - Blank Space (DJ Skillz Throwback Blend)
• Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)
• Tori Kelly - Nobody Love (Select Mix Remix)
• Years & Years - King
• Jess Glynne - Hold My Hand
• Afrojack f./Mike Taylor - SummerThing! (Promo Only Clean Edit)
• De La Soul - Ring Ring Ring (Sax Mix) 
• Kid N Play - Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody (Select Mix Remix)
• Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride (Select Mix Remix)
• Stevie Wonder - I Wish (16b Intro Clean) (DJ Joey C Extended Edit)
• Real McCoy - Come & Get Your Love
• Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
• Johnny Gill - Rub You The Right Way
• Charlie Puth, Meghan Trainor - Marvin Gaye (Select Mix Remix)
• The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face (Select Mix Remix)
• Iggy Azalea f./Jennifer Hudson - Trouble (Promo Only Intro Edit)
• Positive K - I Got A Man
• R. City f./Adam Levine - Locked Away
   

Larry’s 50th Birthday Dance Party

The DJ and the birthday boy. Happy 50th Larry!

When I was booked to be the DJ for this 50th birthday party, I knew it was going to be a great night of old school jams. The 45-55 age range is one of my favorites to DJ for. Consider that this is a group of people that grew up in the 70s, went to college in the 80s and spent early adulthood in the 90s … all great music decades.

Larry had a great time celebrating with family and friends.

Here’s the setlist:

• Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody (Hot Classics Remix)
• Gwen Guthrie - Ain't Nothing Goin' On But The Rent (Hot Classics Remix)
• Brick - Dazz (Hot Classics Remix)
• Bee Gees - Night Fever
• Morris Day - Fishnet (Hot Classics Remix)
• Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
• Sly Fox - Let's Go All The Way (Edge Remix)
• Wang Chung - Dance Hall Days (Edge Remix)
• Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long
• Rick James - Mary Jane (8b Intro Clean) (19Sixty Quick Hitter)
• Shanice - I Love Your Smile (8b Intro Clean) (DJ Joey C Short Edit)
• Paula Abdul - Straight Up (Select Mix Remix)
• Milli Vanilli - Girl You Know It's True (Select Mix Remix)
• Soul II Soul - Back To Life (Ultimix)
• Mariah Carey, Da Bratt, Missy Elliott - Heartbreaker
• Earth Wind & Fire - Shining Star (Hot Classics Remix)
• Stevie Wonder - I Wish (8b Intro Clean) (DJ Joey C Edit)
• Nenah Cherry - Buffalo Stance (Hot Classics Mix)
• Kid N Play - Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody (Select Mix Remix)
• Carl Carlton - She's a Bad Mamma Jamma
• Johnny Gill - Rub You the Right Way (Select Mix Remix)
• Johnny Kemp - Just Got Paid (Select Mix Remix)
• Mariah Carey - Emotions (Select Mix Remix)
• Janet Jackson - The Principle Pleasure (Clean) (Radio Edit)
• Hall & Oates - Out Of Touch (Extended)
• Coolio - 1-2-3-4 (Sumpin' New) [Select Mix Remix]
• O'Jays - For the Love of Money
• Babyface - It's No Crime (Hot Classics Remix)
• Boyz II Men - Motownphilly
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
• Taylor Dayne - Tell It To My Heart (Freestyle Classics) (Short Edit)
• The Commodores - Lady (Hot Classics Remix)
• Whitney Houston - So Emotional (Edge Remix)
• Commodores - Brickhouse
• Cupid - Cupid Shuffle
• Kool & the Gang - Celebration
• Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
• Natalie La Rose f./Jeremih - Somebody
• Nelly - Hot In Here
• Temptations - My Girl
• Silento - Watch Me
• Sister Sledge - We Are Family
• Michael Jackson - Off The Wall (Hot Classics Remix)
• Donna Summer - Bad Girls
• Maroon 5 - Sugar (Select Mix Remix)
• OMI - Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Radio Edit)
• Usher f./Nicki Minaj - She Came To Give It To You (Promo Only Clean Edit)
• Earth, Wind & Fire - September
• The Gap Band - Party Train (Hot Classics Remix)
• Chaka Khan - I Feel For You (Hot Classics Remix)
• Afrika Bambaata & The Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock (Select Mix Remix)
• MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This
• Marcia Griffiths - Electric Boogie
• Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive
• Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours (70s Classics)
• Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music (Hot Classics Remix)
• Boston - More Than A Feeling (Intro Clean)
• Luther Vandross - Never Too Much (Radio Edit)
• The Spinners - I'll Be Around (70s Classics)
• Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen (Clean) (Short Edit)
• Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots (Clean) (Short Edit)
• The Whispers - Rock Steady (Radio Edit)
• DeBarge - Rhythm Of The Night (Select Mix Remix)
• Michael Jackson - Thriller

Enjoy The Silence

Silent Disco adds a different feel to the dance floor

The dancing is normal, the listening to music though your own individual headphones is not. This is a silent disco. 

The silent disco concept is something I had heard about in the past year when I saw it on a news program. However I had never experienced it, either as a DJ or an attendee at an event.  The idea of a silent disco is a completely silent dance floor, with no music coming from any speakers. Instead, music is transmitted to headsets that are worn by all the guests.

When I was hired to DJ Lululemon Fashion Valley’s one year anniversary party and was told a silent disco was going to be part of the party, I was excited but also a bit unsure.

I had many questions. How does it work? How do I transmit the music to the headsets? What music should I play? And most importantly, would people even be into it?

Lululemon used Silentstorm, based in San Francisco, to provide the headsets. The devices also came with a wireless transmitter, which I connected my main output to. My “how” question was quickly answered. That transmitter is what is sending the music to all those headsets, 100 in this case.

The headsets have the capability to receive three different signals. This is ideal for a party that has multiple DJs, each spinning a different genre of music. Even more interesting, the headsets have an LED light corresponding to the channel it is set on. This way guests have a visual cue of who is listening to the same music as they are.

In the case of this party, I was the sole music provider and therefore everyone was listening to the same thing. In doing research on past silent disco parties I was clued into the idea of playing familiar music that people typically enjoy singing along too. I thought this was a perfect idea and had a handful of songs at the ready. In the end, during the 30-minute silent portion of the evening I played these songs:

• Journey - Don't Stop Believing
• Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
• Bell Biv Devoe - Poison
• Usher - Yeah
• Montell Jordan - This is How We Do It
• Backstreet Boys - I Want it That Way
• Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer
• Spice Girls - Wannabe
• Cupid - Cupid Shuffle

It was a fun experience. Although it does present some challenges for a DJ, which I will likely write about in a separate “for DJs only” post … no need to bore everyone else here.

Truly though the proof of how fun it is in the video below, which captures a few clips from a few of the sing alongs. It also answered my last question, “will they really be into it?”

The video basically confirms, yes, indeed everyone was into it. Also, for a complete recap of the party, check out this blog post. 

Lululemon Athletica Fashion Valley First Anniversary Party

Happy one year anniversary to the crew at Lululemon Fashion Valley.

The Lululemon Athletica store located in Fashion Valley Mall celebrated its one year anniversary by closing down the store a little early on a Friday night, inviting some friends and having a big ‘ol dance party.

An acroyoga performance is one way to entertain and impress guests at a party.

I provided DJ and uplighting services for my Lulu friends. Part of the program also included an acroyoga performance and a silent disco … a first time experience for me.

This unique dance floor experience provides dancers with headphones that were tuned directly into my music. While the purpose is to feed up to three music sources, allowing users to choose between them, on this night it was just me. Given that, I choose a few songs that were known “karaoke” favorites. With everyone’s headphones on, and my main speakers off, I spun hits from Journey, Vanilla Ice, Spice Girls etc. and had the interesting experience of listening to nearly 100 people sing at the top of their lungs with no audible music. Good stuff!

Here’s the setlist from the silent and non-silent parts of the evening.

Cocktail and Arrivals

• Ariana Grande - One Last Time (Gazzo Remix) (Clean) (Short Edit)

• Pharrell ft Jay-Z - Frontin (DJ Miles Isla Bootleg) (Extended)

• Clean Bandit & Jessie Glynn - Real Love (Blaklyte & ALMOND Remix) (Clean) (Extended)

• Demi Lovato - Cool For The Summer (Cahill Remix) (Dirty) (Short Edit)

• DJ Sammy - Heaven (Funk3d 2014 Pop Remix) (Short Edit)

• No Mercy - Where Do You Go

• Klymaxx - Meeting In The Ladies Room (Select Mix Remix)

• Phil Collins - Easy Lover (Select Mix Remix)

• Chaka Khan - I Feel For You (Hot Classics Remix)

• Zedd ft Selena Gomez - I Want You To Know (Amenzo Remix) (Clean) (Extended)

Acro Yoga Performance

• Kygo f./Parson James - Stole The Show

• James Newton Howard f./Jennifer Lawrence - The Hanging Tree (Alternative Radio Mix)

• Disclosure ft Sam Smith - Latch (G Duppy Reggae Remix) (Clean)

• Usher - You Make Me Wanna (Intro Clean)

Silent Disco

• Journey - Don't Stop Believing

• Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby

• Bell Biv Devoe - Poison

• Usher - Yeah

• Party Break - Montel Party Break

• Backstreet Boys - I Want it That Way

• Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer

• Spice Girls - Wannabe

• Cupid - Cupid Shuffle

**For more about the silent disco portion of the evening and video of the singing/dancing, check out this post. 

Open Dancing

• Justin Timberlake - Senorita

• Major Lazer, DJ Snake, MO - Lean On (Select Mix Remix)

• Britney Spears & Iggy Azalea - Pretty Girls (Promo Only Intro Edit)

• Fergie - L.A. Love (La La) [Select Mix Remix]

• Wayne Wonder - No Letting Go

• The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face (Select Mix Remix)

• Will Smith - Miami

• Kid N Play - Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody (Select Mix Remix)

• Ella Henderson - Ghost (Oliver Nelson Remix) (Extended)

• Jason Derulo - Want To Want Me

• Hailee Steinfeld - Love Myself

• Pitbull f./Chris Brown - Fun (Clean)

• Rihanna - B***h Better Have My Money

• Silento - Watch Me

• Natalie La Rose f./Jeremih - Somebody

• Years & Years - King

So great to see my wife and other November Project San Diego friends at this party.

Lululemon educator, Alexis, stealing my headphones. I got them back, eventually. 

Rocking out with Denon 3700s and keeping it clean with a black Scrim King table scrim.