DJSUPERUNKNOWN @ FIRST AVE. DEC. 3, 2008

Sorry for the late notice- last minute booking but it should be fun!

Big Hair and Chest Hair Party!

9pm-2am Wednesday, 12/3

First Ave VIP

$3 Cover/ 18+

Featuring:

9pm: Superunknown- a potpourri of ear candy

11pm: Shamas Demoret- Techno/ Electronica

12:30pm: WORDB!RD- Techno/ Dub/ House

NYE WITH DJ SUPERUNKNOWN

So everyone I know has been there and done that for the most part when it comes to New Years Eve, so I want you all to come out to Station 4 in (Lowertown) St. Paul to bring in the New Year and support a great cause. Now my kids don't have diabetes thank God but ALOT of others out there do and we need a cure!

I go on from 7-11 PM and then 12-2 AM. In between there will be a band (TBD) and it only costs 10 BUCKS!

If you have plans already just swing by for an hour, pay the cover, and get your name in the drawing for some prizes yo!

Oh and as far as music goes...

It's going down like dis: FUNKROCKHIPHOPDISCOTOP40ANDALLTHATOTHERGOODSHIT

Word...

What's on the Horizon?

I'm DJing @ The World Famous First Avenue in a couple of days (more info in my next blog) and I'm DJing NYE 2009 @ Station 4 in St. Paul (again, more info in my next blog).

On Friday I'm DJing a company party @ The Nicollet Island Pavilion and on Sat. I'm DJing @ The Crown Plaza in St. Paul for the Army National Guard "A" Co. 2-135 (again I'll post some highlights in another blog)

Anyway, hope Turkey Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday have found you well!

DJ SUPERUNKNOWN @ BLAISDELL MANOR 2008 USMC BALL

So Friday, Nov. 7th I was selected again to DJ the Marine Corps Ball for Marine Corps Recruiting Station Twin Cities.

It was held this year at The Blaisdell Manor in Minneapolis. For those not in the know, the Blaisdell Manor is owned, operated, and catered by Three Son's Signature Cuisine/Three Son's Kitchen. Three Son's also runs the St. Anthony Main Event Center as well. So it's the Marine Corps Ball and I meet the Director for Three Son's Aaron McCallum (one of the three son's by the way) and it turns out Aaron was in the Marine Corps during the same time that I was. Better yet he was in 2nd Batt. Fifth Marines while I was in 1st Batt. Fifth Marines, and we were pounding the same ground in Okinawa, Japan and South Korea at the same time and we never met until now! What a small world. Anyway Aaron and I hit it off and I can't thank him enough for his hospitality and professionalism displayed not only to me but his guests.

Aaron's brother Ben is Three Son's Executive Chef and his creations are the bomb! Check out his latest article in Today's Groom, a magazine dedicated to being the groom's guide to getting hitched. In this most recent "Eat This" column, Chef Ben shares his tips for game time entertaining and a wonderful recipe for Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket - the perfect centerpiece for a big game day party.

Anyway, the Ball rocked AGAIN and a great time was had by all. I did incorporate one unique touch this year, A Marine got married earlier that day and they didn't have a reception planned other than the Ball, so before the dancing officially started I played a song just for them for a "spotlight" dance and I followed it up with an impromptu dollar dance. Everyone stepped up and gave a lil' somethin for the newlyweds and it was appreciated by the Bride & Groom.

I'm getting carpal tunnel so check out these clips yo!

Never Forget

To the unidentified United States Marine...

THANK YOU




"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."
PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, 1985

Semper Fi,

DJ Superunknown
1992-96
First Battalion Fifth Marines (WPNS. Co.)
Marine Corps Security Force Company Pax River

DJSUPERUNKNOWN DOIN' IT 4 THA KIDS

I'll be donating my skillz again this year for Majestic Hills Ranch.

Majestic Hills for Children provides therapeutic riding to children with special needs. Many children are either born with a disability or obtain it through an accident. Whether physical, mental, or emotional, the disability or chronic illness becomes the first of many challenges these children will face. The simple chores of every day living that healthy people take for granted create anxiety, fear, and sometimes a sense of failure for those whose challenges prevents them from participating.

Therapeutic riding has gained worldwide recognition as one of the most progressive forms of therapy for children with special needs. Research shows that therapeutic riding improves balance, stronger coordination, increased motor skills, increased range of motion, a positive outlook, and sense of belonging. The gentle rhythm of the horse’s movements, much like a human gait, helps strengthen spine and pelvic muscles, improves posture and coordination, increases joint mobility and helps keep muscles from atrophying. Additionally, the unique relationship that often forms between horse and rider can lead to an increase in self confidence, patience, and self-esteem, leading to a greater ability to cope with the day-to-day challenges they face.

Word...

Personal Shit 1.0

My wife just cut her hair into a "Chanel Bob" I think?? She probably thought I would freak out but she's smokin hot! She's been married to my dumb ass for over se7en years now (Dec. 15th will make it ei8ht), and she's probably hotter now than when I first started stalking her. If I ever wake one day as a woman I want to be her but I'd ask me not to DJ every weekend cause' I'd miss me so much and I'd probably hump me in public.

Word...

DJ Superunknown @ The St. Anthony Main Event Center

On Saturday, October 25, 2008, I was at The St. Anthony Main Event Center in Minneapolis. I had never played there before but it is now on my unofficial top 10 list of places to recommend. It’s a great space to hold a reception and downstairs you can hold your ceremony. The food by Three Sons Kitchen is outstanding, and the staff was top notch. The also had three bartenders on duty so nobody had to wait for a drink! Big kudos to Lara Skoczek the event coordinator for the night she was first class all the way. I know for a fact that the B & G, family and friends were really treated like royalty that night.

As far as DJ Superunknown goes… I rocked it again baby!

Now check out these clips.

Word…

DJ Superunknown @ The Landmark Center

On Friday, October 24, 2008 I was @ the St. Paul Landmark Center DJing M & E’s wedding reception. That place is HUGE dude! So anyway, They had a cocktail hour and I was just kickin’ some rat pack tunes and slipped in some other uptempo same genera type stuff just for the vibe, not too loud or not too soft but just right ya know!

The Grand March was actually MC’d by a friend of the Groom’s and I had to play September by Earth Wind & Fire, but the Bridal Party was so big and the MC (who did a great job by the way) was about to run out of music before he even got to the Best Man & Maid of H. So 51 seconds left in the song I’m like fuck there’s gonna be no music, and I didn’t want to loop the song over so I said fuck it and got Shipping up to Boston by The Drop Kick Murphy’s cued up, and as soon as he announced the BM & MOH Earth Wind & Fire was over and I busted out some Murphy’s. The Bride & Groom came in and the fucking place exploded! If you’re not familiar with the song it’s on the Departed soundtrack. The reason the place went ape shit was because The Bride was just stunning and half the guests were Boston College Alum (nuff’ said). So the crowds into it and cheering and we go right into their first dance. I don’t usually do that a lot but now that I look back it’s really the perfect time, make a big entrance and get the first dance done. That way the couple has a little pressure off of them and they’ve taken advantage of capturing their audience.

Anyway, dinner, toasts, etc. were really smooth and we transitioned into a really fun night of dancing. Best of all I really enjoyed myself, and the B & G and their family were just really down to earth and gracious hosts. People really danced their asses off so mission accomplished.

I need to point out a couple of vendors that were really great as well: Stephanie Johnson of Table 6 Productions she was a fabulous Wedding Planner, attention to detail, time management, and style. Find out more @ www.table6productions.com or hit her up @ (651) 785-6234.

Also I was impressed by another photographer Emily w/ One Lime Photo. She really took advantage of capturing the night and using all the angles of such a huge space (she was up on the balcony, and all over shooting away) so check her out @ www.lemonlimestudios.blogspot.com or (701) 200-5062.

Now check out some videos… Again my camera and/or the camera man suck (me)

Word…

DJ Superunknown @ Stonebrook GC

On October 17, 2008, I DJ'd a Wedding Reception @ Stonebrook Golf Club http://www.stonebrooke.com/and 2 really crazy things happened, the groom saved the priests life and the bride lost her wedding rings!

A few minutes before the Grand March the Mother of the Bride comes running up to the entrance telling us (me & the bridal party) that the priest was choking, the Groom who was a paramedic rushed out to the guests and performed the Heimlich and saved the priest from choking. Needless to say a cheer resonated throughout the venue, so that was a first and pretty rad. So anyway, after all the life saving commotion, I kicked off the grand march and it went off w/o a hitch (I used The Mustapha Dance by The Clash) as the grand march music. The B & G told me to use whatever I wanted and since I had DJ’d her sisters wedding last year I had their complete trust (I rocked that one too).

Anyway, the Grand March is cool, we go into dinner and speeches a slide show etc. and I' m informed by the Maid of H that the Bride's wedding rings are missing. Holy Shit! Apparently she took them off in the bathroom to wash her hands and left them on the sink, I found out later that the sink had a mesh stopper so the rings didn’t go down the drain, so my guess is some P.O.S. walked off with them. I highly doubt it was a guest or the staff, so I’m assuming that it may have been someone from the public as Stonebrook is a golf club and their guests use the facility as well, or the rings grew legs and walked away? Anyway, The Bride was pretty broken up but she held it together. Due to this fiasco the dance really started late, but I rocked it…. Again!

One thing of note was the photographer Kristi Kienholz of Dolce Studios. She's a total pro and she stayed late to cover the night even though she wasn’t required to. So big kudos to her because I see a lot of weddings that run late and the photogs bail when their contract ends, which is bullshit, because well... I just think it is. Find out more on Dolce Studios via http://dolcestudios.com or hit her up @ (612) 432-7095

Lastly, I’ve played @ Stonebrook many times now, and their food, staff, and atmosphere is great, and as an added bonus they have wonderful scenery for photos.

Now check out these videos… One is of the dancefloor @ some point in the night & one is a walkthrough of Stonebrook

Be advised my camera sucks or it may be user error.

Word...

The 2008 Wedding Season Kicks Off!

So it’s the first weekend after Easter and wedding season is in full swing. I read on the net that approximately 2.4 million couples will be exchanging vows this year. If you‘re reading this blog, you either are a past or future client, or you just happened to stumble upon this. Anyway my next few posts will address receptions, food, music, etc.

So 2.4 million weddings will go down this year and no two will be alike. That said, hopefully each one will be unique and special. I’m sure you’ve been to receptions and said to yourself I would do it this way, or that was cool I should remember that for mine. I’m just gonna talk about a formula I use for the first few hours of a reception. Remember it’s just something that I suggest for my clients that works but it’s not for everybody, and I never expect it to be, but if you’ve never planned one before here’s a few things to keep in mind.

Time Management – You only have the venue for a set number of hours, some venues let you extend late into the morning but they charge a premium. So having a DJ that can roll with the punches, and keep things on schedule is critical. You should be there to enjoy your night and take it all in, not micromanage the whole thing. Having a personal attendant that you trust to make decisions, think on the fly, round people up for the photographer, pull the groomsmen away from the bar when needed, or the groom, etc., and that can work as a team with your DJ (if he or she knows what their doing) will make your night a lot less stressful.


Bridal Party Instructions – At some point when everyone is sober and drama free let your bridal party know the order of events and what you expect. Be assertive it’s your day and you have a lot of time and money invested in that day, and hopefully it will be a memorable one to last a lifetime. Your DJ should not be afraid to recap your instructions to Maid of Honor & Best Man, a successful receptions takes communication. Your reception is your stage and if you think about it, it’s a big production.

Music Selection – The music you select tells your guests and loved ones how you feel about each other and how you feel about them, i.e. Mother Son Dance, Father Daughter Dance, etc.

· Cocktail Hour – I say Rat Pack era. You can not go wrong.
· Dinner Music – The first half of dinner should be something instrumental but nothing that will put people to sleep, the second half should be a little more upbeat, a little Motown, old girl groups, Jack Johnson maybe.
· Important Dances – I suggest picking songs that have some meaning to you, I often have Brides request It’s Your Love by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill or The Way You Look Tonight by any number of artists (Dean does it the best), but anyway is that REALLY your song? Father Daughter Dance - Butterfly Kisses come on, Mother Son Dance – Through the Years (dude, pick the song your mom loves) You get the picture, maybe I’m a little jaded but originality is very cool this year.
· The Opening Set – I love rap and top 40 just as much as the next guy but pick some fun oldies, after all the “older” people brought the good presents.
· Typical Reception Songs – The YMCA, Chicken Dance, Cha Cha Slide, etc. I highly doubt that these are in heavy rotation in your ipod, but these songs get people out of their chairs, so don’t be ashamed of them. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices.
· Mix It Up – Don’t stick with one genre of music, make sure your DJ is hitting all tastes of music, we live in the Digital Music, Jack FM world, people really listen and love all kinds of music, if it’s got a good beat let it rip, let’s say that you absolutely hate country, pick at least one song, everyone likes a good hoedown.
· Special Requests- Honoring your Grandparents with their song is very cool, if a guest is attending your wedding on their birthday have the catering staff bring out a cup cake with a candle, honoring others on YOUR day is classy, and people never forget.
· Kids- Don’t forget the kids man, one or two songs and there off to the hotel pool or going home with Granny.


That’s all I got for now. I’m at the Crown Plaza North for a reception this weekend, and I have no doubt that it will be kick ass.

Word…

CEREMONY MUSIC

Before you get caught up in selecting your ceremony music be aware that some ceremony sites and officiants may have strict guidelines about which music can -- and can’t -- be played during a ceremony… just so you’re aware.

If you decide to use musicians find out if they suck or not, can play the songs you want, supply their own PA system (if needed), and how much space they’ll need. Don’t forget they may need access to an electrical outlet. If you can afford musicians and they can meet your expectations I say go for it. If not, go with a DJ who has experience playing ceremony music. To date I have personally played about 40 ceremonies, and it’s just not pushing play and running on autopilot, it’s really nerve racking and stressful. You need great timing, and improvisational skills. If a DJ screws up your ceremony, chances are pretty good that you are stuck with the same douche bag all night. I don’t want to scare you but it’s a sacred moment in time, as it should be.

Anyway, regardless if you use musicians or a DJ, if you go with traditional music or you use music you actually like, here are the basics:

Just like any story or movie you have a beginning, middle, and end. Before I forget make sure you put a little effort in selecting your songs, the music you pick tells your guests and loved ones how you feel about each other.

Beginning:

PRELUDE music usually begins 20 to 40 minutes prior to the ceremony. These selections set the mood for the coming event. Basically the prelude provides an acoustic backdrop for your guests which I call “seating music” so they don't get bored.

The PROCESSIONAL announces the arrival of the wedding attendants and, ultimately, the bride. Usually, there are two selections played during the processional: one for the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and a different selection for the bride. Make sure the music is cranked up when the bride comes in so the guests stand and recognize!

Middle:

Throughout the ceremony, you can accentuate key moments with INTERLUDE music, which make an impact on your guests, and breaks up the solemnity of the occasion. You might want to include music just before or after a reading, during communion, at the signing of the register, etc. These selections should be slow paced and softly played to give your guests a moment for contemplation or reflection… Ahhhhh.

End:

The RECESSIONAL is the grand finale of the ceremony and should reflect the awesome nature of the occasion. Music should play as the wedding party leaves the church or ceremony site and continue until all guests have departed.

Anyway hope I didn't bore you.

Poppin My Blog Cherry...Again

I'm seriously gonna stick with it this time around. I always say I'm too busy to write but I'll find time. Tonight I'll make it short.