DJ Indica Jones - Artist

Speaker 1: 0:00

This is DJ Indica Jones and you're listening to One Hour to Doors. Yeah, this is One Hour to Doors, a podcast about the business and soul of the festivals and events industry. I am your host, Jon Stone. Every episode of One Hour to Doors explores the people, issues, insights and trends impacting the enterprise of bringing people and communities together in common cause. Our guest today is DJ Indica Jones. Indica is a top DJ in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. His career stretches across virtually all genres and well over 3,000 performances to date. He is known as a performance DJ with an uncanny ability to create infectious energy and positivity in any environment. He's a resident DJ at multiple top clubs throughout the region and I have had the good fortune of working with them on many occasions. Welcome to the show, Indica. Hey, john, so for the layperson, how exactly would you describe the job of DJ?

Speaker 2: 1:14

I know there's a little more to it than just spinning discs. Oh geez, it's a tough one, because I think, for being a DJ well, at least for myself it's about having fun. You know, we go back to the old. I do it for the music, I do it for the money. Well, I do it for the fun, you know. I do it for the reactions, I do it for the smiles, the thumbs up.

Speaker 2: 1:33

You're in the middle of a mall and people are walking by with a camera and waving at you and it's being a DJ is just for me, it's being myself, you know, it's being who I really want to be, not just the normal guy walking into the grocery store. I want to. I want to be, you know, I want to be that fun person, you know, and you can't always be that just generally walking into the grocery store. Otherwise, you know, people are concerned with you, they're like what's wrong with this guy? So when I have the turntable and the mixer in front of me, then there I am. You know, I'm not just normal me, I'm that guy.

Speaker 1: 2:09

And that's exactly what I've witnessed time and time again. It's like you flip the switch and it's showtime and you're having a blast.

Speaker 2: 2:16

That's it, you know, no matter what's happening in your life, I think that I think all of us can turn to music in some way, form or fashion, and if that's something that makes you happy, then that's amazing. That's what makes me happy. That is probably the biggest part of my life is music so, and it's what I love and adore and always will.

Speaker 1: 2:35

I've never asked you this before, but where'd you grow up?

Speaker 2: 2:40

I grew up in Phoenix, of all places, Went to high school with a DJ. He's quite famous. His name is DJ Z-Trip. He's the DJ for LL Cool J and he does all the really cool stuff that we see. I mean, he's played Madison Square Garden and he's just playing all these huge events and I'm like, oh my God, and the coolest part is I can still text him and he texts me back, you know. And so this was back in high school. I used to. I would haul his crates around and we do. We do all the house parties. He DJed at the steakhouse at Black Angus and he was the guy mixing VHS tapes and you know the music and the video from VHS tapes and stuff like that. So it was yeah.

Speaker 1: 3:22

Yeah and stuff like that. So it was yeah, wow, that just the DJing at a Black Angus. That just painted this vivid portrait in my head.

Speaker 2: 3:30

Yeah, it was really cool, you know, especially back then too, because he would play Thursday nights at a place called the Roxy and I would go out there. It was pretty far from my house, you know, back then we never there were no good bus lines or anything like that.

Speaker 2: 3:42

So to get out there was a 20-minute drive anyways, and I wasn't driving at the time and so I'd have to take the bus. But I'd be the only guy in there just to watch him DJ, because I was just so fascinated with the art of DJing and it was a lot different. The whole aspect of it was much different than it is now, and the technicality and the skill it took to be able to even just blend a song was incredible. You had to watch him and he would. Just there's no one there and he's just crushing it and I'm like you know so I have a sense of what you mean by the old school technicality.

Speaker 1: 4:18

My first exposure to working at the big EDM shows was in the I guess it would have been late 90s, mid-late 90s, and I can remember some big kind of festival kind of shows that also included. They were like human, like beatbox, oh sure. And then there were some old school DJs that were actually spinning vinyl. I can't remember the names anymore, but I remember that the vibe was that they were legendary at that time. So I presume these cats were from you know, the seventies or. But I remember this the physicality of their movements while they were working was it really captured my attention.

Speaker 2: 5:01

They were working hard. It's a definite skill. I didn't understand exactly what they were doing, but I could see that they, whatever it was, or they're talking or the whole idea is to take you away from that, to put yourself into my bubble or their bubble, to get them away from. You know, put your phone down.

Speaker 1: 5:36

Yeah, good point, good point. So what brought you up to the Northwest?

Speaker 2: 5:41

I think it's like anything. It's like you do something for so long and you're just kind of burned out, you know. And then growing up in a very hot environment and we felt like we had rented every apartment, we had seen everything.

Speaker 2: 5:56

You know people now are like, oh, I'm moving to Phoenix and then I'm sitting there going, why, like, really, you really want to go live in, you know, but that's to each their own, you know. I mean, that's the change that they need in their life and this was the change I needed in my life. So we basically opened up a map. We said, well, we don't really want to do the Midwest, the East Coast is kind of too cold for us and we kind of felt the optimum decision was the Northwest. And I'm glad I did the Northwest and I'm glad I did.

Speaker 2: 6:23

And every day I'm not kidding Jon every single day I thank myself for making this move because of the friends and the relationships I've made. I'm very conscious of who's in my life, I'm very conscious of everything that's happening in my life and as much as I want to go sit on a beach for the rest of my life and let's say Cancun, which I just got back from, and sit in this beautiful environment, because I love Mexico, I love the Pacific Northwest, Seattle especially, and the people here I just adore, same yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:01

So you were exposed to DJing pretty early, early on. But at what point did you start thinking that maybe this could be a career?

Speaker 2: 7:09

for you. I just actually never thought of that. You know what I thought of? Uh, I just I wanted to play music and dj. You know, they were the. They were the.

Speaker 2: 7:19

The biggest influences were like johnny juice from public enemy and Public Enemy and Rob Swift and people like that in my life, and Z Trip, and that's what I saw and I was like God, I want to be like that. It never was like an actual. The thought process wasn't oh, I'm going to do this or do that. It just all happened. My wife at the time someone had passed in her family and she had received a small inheritance and somehow, some way, I convinced her to buy me brand new turntables and this ugly 19-inch Newmark mixer and the only stereo system I had was on those little bookshelf stereos and we lived in a third-story apartment and I put it in there and I would just crank it up and practice scratching. And the cops came a couple of times, which was hilarious because they would come, I'd let them in and they would see this little eight-inch speaker and they're like this is what's making all this noise. But yeah, you know, and then it just all trickled. It was I didn't really do a whole lot in Phoenix, you know, it was just more like just a hobby, you know, and just practicing and having fun.

Speaker 2: 8:29

And then we came up here, you know, I started getting into the scene, you know, and just more more attentive to what was going on up here.

Speaker 2: 8:32

You know, because there were some great musicians at the time that I was here and I was excited and especially, you know, mcs or rappers per se.

Speaker 2: 8:37

I spread myself very thin, all like I love all genres, but I had attached to that and kind of got into these, what they call clicks, yeah, and just I DJed for a couple MCs at the time, you know, fresh up here, I think that was like the late 90s, yeah, and it just it kind of got me or put me into the position to where I was getting into places where you're meeting the promoters, you're meeting the owners, you know, and I think the biggest thing for any musician or any DJ is that, you know, is networking. We talk about networking. It's cool to like someone's photo on Instagram, but when you know the owner and the promoter and you build a relationship with them, you just don't go in there and be like, hey, yo, I'm super dope DJ, let me. You know that's not what you do. You know you build a relationship with these people in hopes that any musician Over time yeah, and you.

Speaker 1: 9:25

Just that ties directly to what you said at the beginning of this conversation. You called up someone and they picked up the phone. Yeah, they answered your call, yeah.

Speaker 2: 9:36

That's the best that you can do. It is, it is. And then, once you get your foot in the door and you can show what you're capable of, it doesn't mean you're going to get this every single time, but it's the old thing where they tell you, if you don't do it, nothing's going to happen.

Speaker 1: 9:48

Every veteran musician that I've had on this show so far has said the same thing. The most important thing is actually it's physical networking.

Speaker 2: 9:58

Yep, yep, and if anything, you're just going to go. Even if you don't get into that club or whatnot, or into that venue, you know, at least you went and you saw and you know life is knowledge. What you don't know and what you don't go and see, you're never going to figure out. So my biggest venue that supports me the most is Nectar Lounge out in Fremont. Oh, yeah, yeah, amazing, and I would do anything for that venue, because that is the venue that built Indica Jones, that was. I think I've already hit over the 400 mark at just that venue. Wow, yeah, since it's open, wow. But that was the thing. I went and I networked, I met the owners and both the owners are really good friends of mine now.

Speaker 1: 10:58

Well, they're great folks. I did a little bit of consulting for them a long time ago, nice. They were having trouble, uh, they were having trouble getting along with the neighbors in terms of noise. Yeah, I remember that.

Speaker 2: 11:12

Yeah so good old neighbors cheers, and those neighbors are probably still not they're, they're probably not around anymore, which is no we gotta we gotta, we gotta figure it out, we gotta figure it out yeah, they've encapsulated the whole thing.

Speaker 2: 11:24

They they put up the walls. You know, boozer, he was the architect at the time or I think still is and had done so much for that venue. But I think it's kind of the ongoing thing. I was kind of managing another spot last year kind of running it last year kind of running it and I would sincerely it was kind of jokingly sincere that I wish I had the staff that Nectar Lounge had, because that is probably the best run, that's the well-oiled machine, it's a tight ship and I'm going to shout out Ken Stubblefield, because Ken, that's the general manager for Nectar and that is who I aspire to be on a business level, because when you're that type of person you make things happen and I feel safe when I'm there because he's there and I feel taken care of because he's there and like Mario and Andy and the promoters and the bookers and the whole staff.

Speaker 2: 12:20

And Max and Emilio, you ever work with Gina there oh, I love Gina. I just DJed Gina's wedding staff. And Max and Emilio, you ever work with Gina there oh, I love Gina, I did. I just DJed Gina's wedding. Oh, sweet, and I got to go. Well, it was the same day she was married at Nectar Lounge.

Speaker 1: 12:35

So yeah, I was out of town, Otherwise I would have been there.

Speaker 2: 12:38

Oh yeah, so I worked with Gina at.

Speaker 1: 12:40

I worked with USC Events oh wow, okay. I worked with USC Events oh wow, okay. For two or three years. It was another. It was one of these classic. I went in for a quick consult and wound up staying there for two and a half three years. But Gina was. She was running concessions.

Speaker 2: 12:58

Oh, okay.

Speaker 1: 12:59

For them at the time and I saw I could tell pretty quickly that Gina was going to be able to accomplish whatever she set her mind to throughout her career. Sure, you know what I'm talking about Sure.

Speaker 2: 13:12

Just one of those. She's a very special person, yeah.

Speaker 1: 13:14

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 13:16

Yeah, that's, that's crazy, you know, and it's. I always wanted to get it or try to get my foot in with USC too. You know, I'd always see the events pop up. I'm very aware of what's happening. You know, in my town and my city I look at every single venue. It doesn't matter if it goes from Art Marble to Tim's Tavern to you know, it doesn't matter what it is. I'm very aware of what's happening and you know, and I'm glad to see the people that are doing things, you know, doing positive things and moves in their lives. But yeah, she's just yeah, phenomenal.

Speaker 1: 13:51

So you describe your career path as I'll just paraphrase it as the classic saying do what you love and hopefully the money might follow. But how long did it take you before you felt like you're actually a quote unquote professional? Or have you ever felt?

Speaker 2: 14:02

that way. I still don't feel that way Every set. I don't feel that way every set. I don't have anything that's like planned. I know I know some like higher end djs that literally put all the songs one after the other and they're they know exactly what they're going to play. I have no idea.

Speaker 2: 14:15

But once I hit into that venue, my professional attitude and my everything hits right there. That's what I'm there for and I'm representing that venue. It doesn't matter what venue it is. But yeah, as a DJ man, again, I say I'm having fun because what else is there, you know, and I want to project that to the listener or the crowd, the audiences there, and I want to bring them a different feeling, because my biggest thing is that I think we're losing that. People are turned around. These DJs are a dime, a dozen. Respect to anybody that wants to take on that craft and attempt it. I don't hate because someone uses a controller. I don't hate because someone uses a different piece of equipment than I do. I get that. You know. We're getting to the point of this where in two weeks you can literally learn how to DJ, you know, and it is discouraging for DJs that had spent all this time creating a skill set. But I think I totally lost the question that you asked me when did you?

Speaker 2: 15:15

first feel you were a professional, yeah, no.

Speaker 1: 15:21

I perceive you as a professional, no doubt, and the reason that is is because one, when I call you, you pick up the phone, sure. Two, when you commit to a gig, that's it. I know that it's done. Yeah, I don't need to even think about it anymore. Indica will be there and the show will be fantastic. You ask for any instructions or directions. If I have anything, and it might even just be an abstract thought, but that's it. You nod and you go and it's just going to. I don't need to worry about it. That's what a professional means to me.

Speaker 2: 15:59

Good, I'm glad you feel that way, because sometimes I'm on edge, but that's the thing. I think that's what keeps this going. On my end I put it in the phone. I know it's there. I know I got to take care of it and I want to do it, because who am I going to reach this time? Who am I going to? What relationship is going to be built from the set that I did that day? Who's going to have fun? And I want you to feel at ease, or the any promoter or booking agent or whatever. I want them to feel at ease that I'm going to take care of that, because I do notice that a lot. It's like I'll book something with someone that's newer and they're rarely texting me or emailing me a lot.

Speaker 1: 16:36

And I can tell they feel uneasy. Oh, that anxiety is very real.

Speaker 2: 16:40

I can understand, because people won't show up or they cancel, and I've had to cancel once or twice and not many times. That's really really rare. Or I have double booked accidentally. You definitely want to in this industry. You want to stay professional because that will get you the next gig. Also, even though I might kind of jokingly say I don't think I'm a professional in the end, that's what I have to be in order to move forward.

Speaker 1: 17:06

Another way of saying it is that when I book you for work, that's it. I don't have to think about it anymore, and I feel like I can put my professional reputation in your hands. Sure, you're going to represent me, yes, in the way that I want to be represented, just purely by association. That's the hallmark of a professional, or a hallmark of a professional Gotcha.

Speaker 2: 17:29

Gotcha, and I appreciate that too.

Speaker 1: 17:31

So you you're not a specialist. You work across all kinds of environments, all kinds of genres. What's the rough breakout of the types of gigs you're working these days, in terms of clubs versus private, versus corporate versus concert, so on and so forth?

Speaker 2: 17:47

Well, so far this year, I'm DJing for a lot of rap artists, some of the bigger rap artists. I've booked quite a few of those and some festivals we had talked prior. I think I want to gear myself more towards weddings this year because I really like and enjoy doing weddings and seeing people genuinely happy, you know, and enjoying each other's company and being a part of that moment. It's just different, it's a different feeling. I mean, as a grown man, I'm almost in tears sometimes when people are getting married, you know, and I'm just like because it's a special day and it's a special moment and I love being part of that.

Speaker 1: 18:23

Well, I'd never thought about that before, but I see what you're saying. In the room in a wedding that's almost pure love going around. It's different.

Speaker 2: 18:30

Think about that. All the money not the money necessarily, but it is true All the money that's spent, all the family that's flown in the couple, it's just, it's special. You get that at shows and stuff like that, but that only lasts for so long. But if I'm there all day and I've created something, again we're taking nothing and creating something very special, because that is a really huge part of their day. And again you go back to the professionalism, like you said, that's you can guarantee I'm going to show up and we're going to do the best we can to make the most fun and memorable experience you've ever had.

Speaker 1: 19:05

So A pure business question here what do you think your customers are buying? What exactly are they paying for? I know that it's not as simple as oh. They're paying for music, Sure, but what are they actually writing a check for?

Speaker 2: 19:21

The people that come to my shows. A lot of them we've again it's. We go back to talking about relationships. I'm creating a relationship. It's me and the listener. It's me and the concert goer. It's me and the person that paid to get through the door.

Speaker 2: 19:35

I'll always say it and I'll say it again. I do it for two or 20,000 and I've done it for those people and you get the same show out of me. So what I'm trying to create is a special moment for the person that's there to enjoy, walk off, say they had a great time, because that's crazy enough. The way I think of it is that I feel very blessed to be able to have just a little bit of anybody's time and to have them in front of me and have fun, you know, and enjoy themselves and enjoy their life, because I think with music we get to forget about all the negative things in our life. And if I can help to contribute to any type of joy to someone, then I believe that's part of the reason I'm here and what I'm doing. That's a beautiful thing, oh yeah.

Speaker 1: 20:24

You know, I know that you have over 3,000 performances to date. Music is very cyclic. How do you stay fresh and relevant over the long haul?

Speaker 2: 20:38

That's a good question. I think it's that, again, I don't create sets, so whatever I'm doing, it's fairly organic. Even though you might be listening to a song that I played eight shows ago, maybe I'm doing something different to it or trying.

Speaker 2: 20:48

I played eight shows ago. Maybe I'm doing something different to it or trying to do it like that, but I am consistently and constantly listening to music and maybe I missed something that Credence did, you know. Maybe I missed something that Bruno Mars did, maybe I missed something that ACDC did. Where I'm like, oh you know, what would be really cool is to play this song and then this song, because I tend to do that a lot, because it just like I know all the words and the stuff and it pops in my head Like if a song's talking about a story, then I mix another song that talks about a story. Or perfect example is I'll do I Want to Dance with Somebody, and then I'll mix another song and it has to do, or the title's dance, and people figure this out, this thing that I'm doing, I know what you're saying.

Speaker 1: 21:37

Good songs are stories. They're just telling a story. But music programmers which is what I think of you as have an art form of their own where they can take multiple stories and thread those together to create an even bigger narrative.

Speaker 2: 21:53

Yeah, and I think it can. For me, it's always something different. I want to again create moments in time. I'm fortunate enough to even get your time to pay attention to me is amazing, but yeah, yeah, you know, I'm always let's create something different. Even though it's the same songs, we formulate it in a different way.

Speaker 1: 22:13

Got the same songs, but the context changes every day, absolutely In every location. Let's go sidebar for a second. I know that, and this may be a statement of the obvious, but I know that you collect vinyl, oh yeah, and that you find great joy in that. Say a few words about your vinyl collection and trading habits.

Speaker 2: 22:33

I do a lot, you know, a lot of hunting, digging. I've been doing this for decades, you know, and it's the I don't know if it just it's the hoarder in me, it's the only thing I really hoard is music With vinyl cassettes. Eight tracks, I have it. You collect eight tracks. I have it, you collect eight tracks. Oh, I love eight tracks. No fooling, I didn't know that. Oh, I have just bazillions. Like if I showed and, john, if I showed you my track, like you'd be like, wait what?

Speaker 1: 23:00

um, now, is there a market for that? Are there people that are buying and selling?

Speaker 2: 23:04

not so much eight tracks but definitely cassettes. You know the good stuff, the joy division, the black flag minute men. Yeah, you know the good stuff, the Joy Division, the Black Flag Minutemen. You know stuff like that and I've been putting those up. But I've got 50 copies of Joy Division substance and they're selling for $35 each. But what this enables me to do also is that I sell portions of this collection but then I'm able to go buy stuff that I really, really want. If it's the first Doors album in mono you know UK pressing then I can go out there and actually afford to go pay $300 for like a pristine copy. But that's the kind of stuff that I'm after. And then my vinyl collection is ginormous. It's ridiculous, like what Like, what's?

Speaker 2: 23:45

ginormous. See, the thing is like I'll personally tell you a number maybe, but uh, saying it for everyone to hear, because everyone, there's people in the northwest that say I have the biggest record collection so I'll let them.

Speaker 2: 23:57

I'll let them keep that and they can. They can be that person, you know, but it is, it is. It's ridiculous, you know, for, for vinyl wise, and I'm obsessed with cassettes right now, I'm just obsessed. And 45s, I love 45s. Just went to the Seattle Center Armory and bought a ton of 45s, a bunch of old punk stuff, like late 70s punk stuff that I've been wanting.

Speaker 2: 24:24

What's drawing you to cassettes right now? Ooh, cassettes, I don't know it's, they're a little bit cheaper. There are some that are, you know, still quite expensive, I think it's maybe. Just, I start going through my stuff and I see what I've got and I'm like, oh cool, you know all my ska stuff. And I'm like no one has this, you know, and it's because I got it in California one year and went to all these ska shows and bought these knuckleheads that's a group called Knuckleheads, and I buy these cassettes and I'm supporting the artists. But then I look and I look them up online and I'm like, god, three, four hundred dollars for one of these cassettes, like holy smokes. But what's drawing me to the cassettes is that it's just again, it's just the feeling. It's just magnificent. It's like, oh, my God, I found this, or I found that Of all things in the world.

Speaker 2: 25:10

I made Goodwill yesterday and there are a bunch of records and I get this like chill up my back. I see that they've put out, because normally I go there and there's 20 records, just old beat classical albums. But now there's 200 records sitting on this rack and I go up there and what is it all? It's all George Jones and Tammy Wynette. But I get excited because it's old George Jones stuff and Tammy, and when they included their daughter too. So trust me, when, again, I spread myself very thin when it comes to like genre, you think, oh, a DJ, just a hip hopper club. No, you know, dad was playing eight tracks of Johnny Cash and Willie when I was growing up and this is the stuff I know. And again, I listened to every genre constantly.

Speaker 2: 25:53

Just those cassettes, man, they're easier to store, they're a lot smaller, they're not as valuable, so they're getting easier to find. So I'd rather spend $5 or $10 on a really nice Bowie. $5 or $10 on that, where it would be four times that it'd be $35, $40 for the album which I already have. Like, if it was Bowie Space Oddity, I've already got 10 copies of that. But what I got maybe one, oh, it's the light blue Nyko cassette case and it's pristine condition and I'm like, yeah, I'll pay $10 for that. So, yeah, and I'm just stoked man, I, you know, it's like when you were showing me your guitars, you know, I get it. I just, I love music and I think it's fun, and that's the hoarder in me, man, that's the, but it's only the music quarter. I don't have stacks of newspapers, you know so don't worry.

Speaker 1: 26:42

Industry wise. What kind of trends are you seeing out there in the in the DJ field these days?

Speaker 2: 26:48

You know, I think the biggest trend right now is and I think it's kind of getting overkill. It does well for the clubs, but the theme parties, you know, the Taylor Swift party. I'm like, dude, I'm like how many of these Taylor Swift parties and how many places are you going to play this until it's just bludgeoned to death? You know, oh, all of them, you know, and I love Taylor Swift, but it's like that's always tough.

Speaker 2: 27:10

But then you have all these these guys that are I don't know how they come out of the woodwork, but they're like California based promoters and they're booking clubs up here. They don't put the DJ's name, even on the event, which I'm noticing, and then they just, I guess it's whatever the club, they just book a DJ is what I'm seeing, and but they don't promote the DJ. So we're losing the essence of who's actually putting in the time and the work and the effort, you know, in order to put a set together or, like me, do it organic. But it's just, it's kind of it bums me out, you know, because it's like we have all these, these phenomenal DJs, skilled DJs, you know, that just aren't getting the shine.

Speaker 1: 27:50

How have changes in technology impacted your work over the years?

Speaker 2: 27:55

Well for me. I've always been a vinyl purist. I got to shout out my homie, dj Wicked out of Portland. He's another vinyl purist and he refuses to come to the dark side, which is the digital side. Props to him to come to the dark side, which is the digital side. Props to him. He's a magnificent technical DJ. That just. He's just quality all the way around and his attitude and everything is just. He's someone to look up to as a DJ.

Speaker 2: 28:21

But as technology, when we get into the digital aspect, we're looking at what's called a controller. So a controller is a little bit different than what I do. Technically I use a controller, but it's what's called a Rain 12. So it's still a large 12-inch spinning platter that I can manipulate and scratch and do everything I could, but not destroy all my vinyl. But then we come across these controllers now and the controllers they're making it so easy for someone just to dj. Even you could just pick one up and within a month, 20 minutes a day, within a month you could be blending and mixing.

Speaker 2: 28:57

Then your next step is to try to get into these clubs, but again you have to bring something to the table for this club to want to book you. But as technology goes, it's just it's making it so easy, because even blending two songs together let's say it's like a programmed beat is easier and almost easiest one of these controllers per se. But for someone like me it's different, because everything's by ear. So I'm having to blend this stuff and especially if it's like a Go-Go song these were live recorded drums and stuff like that. You're really looking at the drums because that's what holds the rhythm, but putting those two together and mixing it, well, now these, now technology just does it for you. Like you literally queue up the other song, hit the button, do the loop and the thing just mixes it for you.

Speaker 1: 29:44

And I'm just so. How do you feel about that um?

Speaker 2: 29:49

yeah, you know, I mean the real deep inside of me says that's BS. You know that's unfair, but I mean that's technology. I mean you don't like it, then figure out something else. That's just the honest truth. But I do love technology too. You know, I got my new swanky iPhone and it does all this. I was an Android guy for forever because I didn't want to upgrade my phone. And when I get the swanky thing and the technology is just I love it. I didn't know I could have a wallet and store my plane flight crap to my wallet and just whip it out and get right on the plane, kind of thing.

Speaker 2: 30:22

But yeah, I mean it's, it's good and it's bad for me, but it still doesn't. It's never going to take away from me. You just cool, you got a controller. You're not me, it's not an ego thing, and it's just I'm going to do my bit, different than you're going to do your bit, and that's all it is.

Speaker 1: 30:39

I've talked on this subject a couple of times on this show before, so I won't go off on a tangent today. But in short, I've kind of gone full circle on the subject because I grew up as a musician. Of course, I became a musician in a completely analog world and that analog world over the last 30 years has morphed into pretty much an all-digital world and I've had so many conversations with colleagues and just with myself in my head over it's like is the digital way? Like you say, it's so easy for anybody can do it now, is that I'm using air quotes? Is that really music? Is that really musicianship?

Speaker 1: 31:19

I used to have a sarcastic attitude about that, but over time and really through my involvement in the EDM community, I eventually came around to my current position where I think it's all great. I think that what's important isn't how you do it, it's that you can make music. It's never been easier for anybody to try to express themselves through music. And just because you can do amazing technological things, that's not going to make you a superstar. No, it's not. You know, you're always going to be judged on your content ultimately. So I don't particularly feel threatened by technology or anything like that. It simply is, and I think that the most important thing is just the ability for just makes music more accessible to people.

Speaker 2: 32:09

It does and I think for the artists it's creating the energy. I was talking with a friend of mine yesterday and it was the new I think it was the new Greta Van Fleet album that came out and I said what did you think? And they're like, oh, it sounded like Queen. And I was like, okay, yeah, so Like well, you know, that's great because we can do that with every, I can do that with every single group. I know so much music. I could compare anything to anything you know and it all sounds. You know, there's only so many chords you can play that you're going to be like oh, that sounds like an old Frank Sinatra song and that sounds like an old who knows it could be anybody Back to. You know, with the technology thing, it's just like it's just going to go forward. There's nothing we can do to stop it.

Speaker 2: 32:54

I agree, I grew up in an analog world, you know, and I still think that way, and that's that's the vinyl and the cassette addiction that I have. I'll say this that I am glad that the digital version came out, like the Serato and stuff like that that the DJ uses and the Rane 12, because I'm not destroying my vinyl. I can go through songs really, really fast and I'm creating a different show for the audience or the listener. So, and like I say, I'm having fun. Man, I'm getting older and a lot of people have taught me to stop saying that you're an old man or this or that. You know, I'm just I'm getting older and I realize this. But I want to continue having fun and hopefully that bleeds over to the listener or the audience.

Speaker 1: 33:39

What's your favorite gig of all time that you ever played?

Speaker 2: 33:42

Ooh, you can't bring that. You can't say that, Jon, there's no favorite, I don't know. We just did one together, that one that was actually really, really cool, that's like it was like. Which one was that? Oh, the Silent Disco.

Speaker 1: 33:55

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. So we did the disco. Oh yeah, so we did the park in Bellevue.

Speaker 2: 33:58

Yeah, for the for the city of Bellevue, that was just different. I've done I don't know five, six, seven silent discos, but that was just cool, you know, and it was. It was cool because it was like and then I could get on the microphone and it'd be like Bellevue make some noise and everyone's screaming and anyone that didn't have headphones on they're like looking around and like the, the head lady too, she was like what's going on here? And it was just cool and you knew it, I knew it, you know yeah, I had no idea what to expect on that one.

Speaker 1: 34:26

Honestly, it's like I easily envisioned like nobody really caring or participating. Sure, that wouldn't have surprised me. Yeah, because that was such a kind of oddball unique thing that was going on there. But no, no, people jumped on that. Oh man. I was really surprised.

Speaker 2: 34:44

Shout out to you guys in the city of Bellevue and you guys for putting such an electric event together and just, man, because I know if you weren't there this thing wouldn't have happened that way and it was just, it was magnificent. But gigs like that I really. But gigs like that I really love gigs like that. I don't really have a favorite one there's. There's ones where I've DJed for certain people and it's just been incredible and and there's like did the Maroon 5 thing or the Lady Gaga thing or the you know, and those are all fun, you know, and they're cool. And I think, favorite events, you know, not really a favorite event but it's like walking away from something I've done, and especially I'm going to say it because it was such a large part in the early 90s, like all the hip hop stuff, and that was the guy I was listening to when I lived in Phoenix and here I am DJing for him.

Speaker 1: 35:36

There you go, and I'm like holy smokes.

Speaker 2: 35:38

Look at me now. You know, and there's so many times I'm standing there and I'll be honest, I'm just crushing it Right. And so I look up and then there he is, I'm scratching, he's rapping and I'm pulling out. We're doing the whole thing.

Speaker 1: 35:56

And then I look up and I'm like, oh my God, like last week I recorded a session with a musician, John McEwen, founder of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, multi-grammy winner, Bluegrass Hall of Fame, grammy Hall of Fame the guy is probably collaborated with he's probably the most prolific collaborator of any musician who's ever lived Wow, with he's probably the most prolific collaborator of any musician who's ever lived. And he actually he called me asking if he could be on the podcast. You know, oh, that's great, and so it was great. So we had a delightful conversation.

Speaker 1: 36:32

But one of my questions that I've always asked musicians is what is your earliest recollection of music? Not when did you first like play a piano or something like that, but like what's your earliest memory of music? And for me, I was three, maybe four years old and my dad would shave before work every morning in the bathroom with the door open, and he had a cassette player on the shelf in there and he would, over the years he pretty much wore out uh, two cassettes, uh, a Credence cassette and uh, and a Dirt Band cassette, and so that's my earliest memory. And so all of a sudden, like 50 years later, I'm sitting with having a conversation with that same and it's it's a weird it's a weird sensation it is.

Speaker 2: 37:18

it is because you is, because you could have never in your lifetime ever thought something like that.

Speaker 1: 37:24

Why would I even thought about something like?

Speaker 2: 37:26

that Same Same, Because I never even knew I was going to be DJ. I didn't know that that's what I was going to try to do is try to be a professional DJ. I just I don't know. I'm just doing this.

Speaker 1: 37:37

Life is weird, but time is even weirder, Super trippy dude. Matter of fact, the more I go on, the less I even understand time, Like I don't even understand what it is anymore.

Speaker 2: 37:48

No, I don't even. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 37:50

I wanted to ask you. You're a modest guy. I know you've done some very large gigs in front of very large audiences, very large gigs in front of very large audiences. Something that I have observed and figured out over my years in the concert business is that the power of the crowd, like as an artist, if people really love you in a live environment, that love manifests as a very tangible form of energy that's projected at you the star or whatever that is and there's a high that's associated with that that most people will never experience. It's a drug of sorts. Oh yeah, it's the energy of this high concentration of pure love aimed at you, and I have this theory that that's why a lot of quote-unquote famous musicians, as their careers start to fade, they kind of spin out and sometimes drop into drug addiction and things like that. My theory is that they're chasing that old high that you're otherwise never going to find in nature.

Speaker 1: 38:56

You know, I'm sure you've experienced that kind of focused energy before, and then the show's over and you go home, yeah, and that drop off can be pretty severe. How do you manage that? I?

Speaker 2: 39:12

can agree with that statement 100%. You do the set, you walk off, people are giving you accolades or telling you stuff, and, yeah, the night ends, and then you're just you again, you know, and you're driving home and you're thinking about what I'm going to get to eat, or I think it's a little bit different for me. My whole idea with any gig is I said it earlier two or twenty thousand, I've done it for, for both, and you're going to get pretty much get the same show. The energy does get a little crazier when you got 20,000 in front of you. I don't necessarily burn out per se, but my whole intention with the gig that I'm going to is to get another gig for something. It doesn't have to be through that promoter, it could just be someone that was there that saw me, because that happens quite often, where they're like oh, we saw you at so-and-so and we would like to book you, you know, for a private event or for a wedding. And that's my thing, and that's what keeps the energy going for me. That kind of stuff I do love. It's hard for me to tell, though, because I'm jumping around, man, a lot of people haven't seen me, but I'm trying to project that I'm trying to take you away from whatever's bad in your life or whatever's on your phone. I'm trying to like up here, up here, you know, like that, like a teacher, like up here, look at me, I think that's what I'm trying to do. And then when I'm done, yeah, there is still that like kind of that decompression, and I get exactly what you're saying.

Speaker 2: 40:45

I think, just, with me getting older, I'm more just worried about the gigs. You know, am I going to continue getting gigs? And a lot of people think I'm too expensive, you know, which is kind of funny to me because they see me do like a lot of big stuff, and then they're like, oh, I can't afford him. And I'm like you can afford me. You know it's like let's keep it going, we'll figure it out. If I got the date open, let's go. I don't burn out, I don't, you know, hit that rock bottom because, again, my whole intent is next gig, more energy. What can we do? How can we pack this place out? And how can we just, you know, keep moving forward. It's always moving forward with me.

Speaker 1: 41:20

All right, yeah, I hear what you're saying. Yeah, when I formed my theory that we're talking about here, I remember that moment that it all made sense to me. It was at a Stone Temple Pilots show Nice, and it was the first one they'd done. It was in Seattle. It was the first one they'd done in quite a while. They'd done in quite a while and stadium show probably 25, 26, 27,000 people just stoked and they were late, and they were.

Speaker 1: 41:48

The band was really like I mean, I was sweating it. It wasn't clear if they were going to show and by they I'm talking about Scott, sure, sure. Yeah, probably the most I've ever sweated whether or not an artist was actually going to show. But he showed, and so by that time I say the crowd was just in a froth. Yeah, partly love and partly kind of anxiety about is this show going to happen? Yeah, but he showed and went on. I didn't notice. I heard over the radio that he was here and, okay, we're going to go up in five minutes.

Speaker 1: 42:23

And then there was an incident down in the barricade pit and so I had to go down there and talk with some folks and the show went up right then, and so I was literally center stage down the pit. So Scott, so Singer was behind me six feet and above me six feet, so I was right in that line of focus. Sure, and when the light came up, and that roar, that initial crush, that surge there was I'm going to sound a little, you know there was a surge of energy, wow, that I've never experienced before, but it was a tangible, physical thing coming through the air. Sure, and it was pure love. Yeah, it was pure love. And I'd say, all of a sudden, I understood the whole story about why people spin out.

Speaker 2: 43:19

Yeah, and I love the feeling. Obviously I'm I'm nowhere even near stp, but yeah, that feeling, man, that's it's killer. You know, when you do a set or the people are reacting to you and because I go through these songs quite quick but I know what to play. I always call it a cheap wedding because you play the stuff that people are going to react to, the, that they're going to sing along with when you cut it out. And but that energy, yeah, when it's a packed room and like people are going crazy, and again I'm jumping around but I'm still like kind of looking up and they're going nuts and the girls are smiling and they'll smile back and we're pointing at each other and then, yeah, it's just, it's a high, it is super high, yeah, and that's the thing. That's why that's why I go back to uh, I'm looking for that next gig, Cause I think maybe that's what that is I'm looking for. I'm always looking for good job, buddy, you know, or you killed it, dude, it's kind of funny, Like I was asking my buddy Ayron, uh, Ayron Jones, and this was fairly recent.

Speaker 2: 44:16

He and this was fairly recent, he did some party or something for him. But I asked him I know you're doing all these shows, you know he's opening for Rolling Stones and stuff like that, and this is kind of that energy thing, kind of that I've always wanted to know when artists do big, big shows in front of just tens of thousands of people, does it just start looking like a sea of heads, Literally? Because I've always wondered that the group, the, the group that's doing it's like the stones or like any of those guys, does it just? Is it always just the same face? Is it the same sea? Is it the what you were talking about for STP, even though you felt that energy? Was he feeling that energy or is that just the same old, same old that you know he's used to?

Speaker 2: 44:58

But that was like what I asked Ayron and he kind of just was like no, Ayron's a different, he's just different, he's one of the most. When they say the goat, I think he is the goat, that's, he's just a really good friend of mine. But he just was kind of like I think he's just still taking it all in, you know, I think for him. So it wasn't maybe. I asked him the same question in five years, you know, and he's just, you know, beyond blown up. I mean he's just blowing up. That's what I've always wanted to know from someone that.

Speaker 1: 45:24

I suppose it might have some. I don't know Ayron personally I've worked with him a couple of times, he strikes me as someone who is well-grounded oh yes, if I can use that overused term, maybe that has something to do with it. I mean, there's people that are well-grounded and there's people that have no grounding whatsoever, and so when we're talking about this energy of the crowd, this energy being transferred from audience to artist, maybe your grounding, or lack of grounding, has something to do with how you're going to handle that.

Speaker 2: 45:55

Yeah, he's the type of artist it's. The one little smidgen that I could compare myself to to him is that we go into a room where maybe people don't know exactly who we are and then we leave the room with you saying I know who that is now. But yeah, that's that question too. It's a great question because that's what I want to know too. I feel energy, but I want to know does it get old? Is it just a bunch of that same face?

Speaker 1: 46:21

I imagine it's probably a very individualized.

Speaker 2: 46:24

Yeah, I've heard of that. I think it's, yeah, I think it's each person, you know, to each his own.

Speaker 1: 46:28

But yeah, yeah, it's, that's, that's a good question Jon, I'm gonna hit you with some random questions here we go what's your favorite sound?

Speaker 2: 46:36

uh, the sound of, uh, remember the movie Blues Brothers? Oh, yeah, of course. Okay, so when Carrie Fisher launches the rocket launcher into the building where the Blues Brothers are at and then they're under all the bricks, yeah, that sound that when it's all ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, oh yeah, oh, my God, that sound. I don't know what it is with that, but it's. You go back and you go watch it, but yeah, that brick sound Incredible.

Speaker 2: 47:06

I can hear that in my head right now when they're trying to like get up out of the bricks you know, Dust themselves off.

Speaker 1: 47:13

I was just talking with somebody about the Blues Brothers. There are people alive now that have never seen the Blues Brothers and I have a huge problem with that. You know what else I have a huge problem. This isn't new but this was maybe 10 or 15 years ago.

Speaker 1: 47:29

All of a sudden, in the context of a big staff meeting, all of a sudden it became apparent to me that there was an entire generation that had never seen Purple Rain, oh Lord, and I didn't know what to do with that. I still don't know what to do with that. Yeah, i— it's like how do you navigate life not having—.

Speaker 2: 47:53

Some people are just watching reruns of Sopranos.

Speaker 1: 47:58

What's your Desert Island album Desert?

Speaker 2: 48:02

Island album. Oh Lord, I'm trying to think of what.

Speaker 1: 48:06

I'll make it a little easier. What is one of your desert?

Speaker 2: 48:10

island albums. I know that's when I say what are your top three, and I'm like bro, I can't tell you my top three. Probably the First Doors album. Still, that works for me. Um, uh, man, you know, purple rain, that would actually that would do that, that would. I was, uh, I can't even think of what I was just. But yeah, that purple rain, that uh, it's the one song where I can't even think of what it's in my head and, uh, I don't care where we go, I don't care what we go, I don't care what we do. That one, yeah, that song is like that's the. Take me with you. Yeah, that's the. I'm in a convertible car, there's a wind in the little bit of hair I still have. There's the. You know, that's kind of the cut, all right.

Speaker 1: 48:56

Most important question Shoot. You walk into an ice cream shop. You're going to get a cone with two scoops. What are the flavors?

Speaker 2: 49:05

oh man, I gotta go from the old old days when mom and dad, when I was in band and after uh, we would finish band the concert or performance and we go to 31 flavors and I'd always get a scoop of mint chocolate chip and then remember the uh because they had it back then. Especially remember swenson's yeah, yeah, it's old swenson's. Yeah, they used to serve that bubble gum. It's like vanilla bubble gum where the bubble gum was in it yeah but you were the disgusting kid that took the.

Speaker 2: 49:36

You took the bite of the ice cream, got the bubble gum in your mouth and pulled the bubble gum out of your mouth and stuck it on the plate until you were done eating the ice cream, and then you threw all the bubble gum in your mouth. So it would be mint chocolate chip, ooh, even peppermint. I like peppermint too. You remember the pink peppermint ice cream? Yep, oh, let's go. Let's go, john.

Speaker 1: 49:55

So what is mint? Chocolate chip and?

Speaker 2: 49:56

peppermint. Let's do mint, chocolate chip and peppermint. Which one goes on top, good Lord, because I eat from the cone the bottom up. What, yeah, yeah, I just. It drips everywhere. Is that legal? I don't care, I'm that guy. No, I don't. I would probably say peppermint on top, let's go, okay, let's go, let's do this.

Speaker 1: 50:19

Indica. It's been fun talking with you today, as always. Thanks for being on the show. Thank you, Jon, I appreciate your time.

Speaker 2: 50:33

All call One hour to doors.