It’s Ronald Reagan building. High security with check points everywhere and a car search as you enter. Makes a DJ wonder how funky can this party get. I had played a few corporate events there before but this was a wedding? As I carted my gear through the building to an undisclosed location I felt the security guards sizing me up.
When I reached the pavilion I found an oasis of elegance and loveliness in the otherwise cold environment. For a moment I was taken back at how beautiful the scene looked but I had to maintain composure. I only had one chance to pull this off. This was going to take clock work precision. As planned, I got there before anybody to wire the room with the tools of the trade but then suddenly a figure emerged. I was relieved to find it was my contact: Karambu, the Event Manager. We quickly got to work and soon everything was in place.
Katie and Steve were my primary targets. My goal was to rock the very foundation of this celebration and make sure they and the crowd would never forget the name of this DJ and the organization I have pledged my loyalties to. I played my role as facilitator to the “T”.
As they entered the room I played “Feel So Close” by Calvin Harris. The crowd went crazy and I got a feel for what I was up against. After a quick heart felt welcome from Katie’s mother it was time for dinner. Time to lull the crowd into a relaxed state with some Indie selections while they ate dinner, including tracks from The Decemberists, Mumford and Sons and Fleetwood Mac. Now it was time to seal the deal. I called the newlyweds to the dance floor and they danced to Dean Martin “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head.” Everybody was in a trance of joy and admiration at the lovely Katie and handsome Steve.
Before they knew it I had unleashed my weapons of dance floor destruction. First some funk and soul, including Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” and then some classics from Michael Jackson. When I deployed my Hip Hop minions Wu-Tang and DJ Kool things started to get crazy. I was unrelenting and escalated things with current pop and some sing alongs like “Living On A Prayer” and “Like A Prayer.” Katie’s mom came to me several times telling me what a great job I was doing… a kind of dance floor version of Stock Holme Syndrome.
The grand finale was “Build Me Up Buttercup” which had everybody singing and dancing. After everybody had left I stood in the center of the after math. Many good people were rocked that day in the name of love. I packed up my gear and slipped back by the guards… twice…I had to make a few trips.
All photos provided by Documentary Associates Photography