SwingDJs

A couple:

The best I ever got was when I was in Nashville about a year and a half ago at an after-hours dance. Some girl from Atlanta came up and asked:

"Do you have any Kim Cattrall?"

---

I was at Tapestry in Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago, about four tunes into my set when this middle-aged bald guy walks up:

Guy: "You know, I'd really like to hear some old-time rock and roll."
Me: "I don't have any, I only play jazz."
Guy: "No, I mean like Elvis...or Chuck Berry."
Me: "I don't know, is that jazz?"

[not less than two songs later]

Guy: "Bluesy. Anything bluesy would be fine."

*thinks to self...is he the one that signed the check?*

Then, his significant other comes up about half an hour later, after I had just played or was currently playing Slim and Slam:

SO: "Do you have anything that's not big band?"
Me: "Sure do, it's playing."
SO: "No, I mean like Frank Sinatra. Or the Senders [a local and mediocre jump-blues band that a lot of the older crowd of dancers patronize]"
Me: "Sorry, I only play jazz."

Mmmm, local band groupies...

Regular Annoyer: "Can you play some Dr. Zoot?"
Unregular DJ: "I don't put that shit into my collection."

Aaah, Amateur DJ nights, allowing others to say things in ways I can't because they aren't there weekly

-FF

I think part of the art of taking or refusing requests is to hear past what the requester is saying and to divine what they actually MEAN. Of course in some cases that's impossible. But in the case of the 'not big band' request it pretty clearly meant 'something not so old and mono', at least I think.

julius wrote:I think part of the art of taking or refusing requests is to hear past what the requester is saying and to divine what they actually MEAN. Of course in some cases that's impossible. But in the case of the 'not big band' request it pretty clearly meant 'something not so old and mono', at least I think.

Yeah, as I was reading a lot of those songs were jumping to mind that were basically a compromise between what they want and what I can stomach.. it's nice to make an effort.. unless they're a total ass - I usually just ignore the people who frame requests in the form of an insult to other stuff I'm playing.

julius wrote:I think part of the art of taking or refusing requests is to hear past what the requester is saying and to divine what they actually MEAN. Of course in some cases that's impossible. But in the case of the 'not big band' request it pretty clearly meant 'something not so old and mono', at least I think.

Oh, I knew damn well what it was she was asking for. But since the rest of the room was moving to what was on, including her and her tool...you get the point. They seemed to have a short memory. I did end up spinning "Rack ’em Up" by Yoko before long, though.

yedancer wrote:I don't know. I've had people request salsa, polka, and even heavy metal.

Nonono, he didn't ask for polka...he asked for Lawrence Fricking Welk!

It's not as surprising that he was asking me to play it that he wanted to hear it.

My favorite request actually happened to another DJ in town (Dapper Dan). He had been asked to guest DJ a radio show at the local college radio station on early New Orleans style jazz. Half-way through the show, a kid called up and requested heavy metal. Then, a second call happened from another kid. Same type of request, with a little more pushing and pleading for his request to be honored. My friend was astounded and talked about it all week.

The following Sunday, one of our teen swingers confessed that he and his friend had really enjoyed the show, but felt a compulsion to be a bit of a prankster.

Drew wrote:The best I ever got was when I was in Nashville about a year and a half ago at an after-hours dance. Some girl from Atlanta came up and asked:

"Do you have any Kim Cattrall?"

Atlanta, eh? Now I'm intriguiged (trying to remember which Atlanta ladies attended last year's MC2....)

sorry... double post

KevinSchaper wrote: Yeah, as I was reading a lot of those songs were jumping to mind that were basically a compromise between what they want and what I can stomach.. it's nice to make an effort..

True enough. For me that has resulted in the following substitutions:

Request = Andrew's Sisters "Bounce Me Brother, With a Solid Four"
Played = Will Bradley "Bounce Me Brother, With a Solid Four"

Request = "In The Mood"
Played = "Tar Paper Stomp"

I've been relatively lucky, though. I typically DJ for the local non-profit (ASEDA) which usually is attended by folks who are regular dancers who typically appreciate what I'm laying down.

More often, I'll get tempo request (i.e. "can you play something slower?"). And as long as it's not sucking the life out of the room or at a bad time (ie. the room just got to a rockin' point), that's easy enough.

The ASEDA dances usually have 2 DJs per night, and I've realized that in most cases it's better for me if I go first. I find that whoever goes first sets the tone for the night. So, if the first DJ comes out playing a ton of slower stuff, it's durn hard to take over halfway through the dance and pick up the pace (cuz everyone has been lulled into a 130 BPM stupor!)

(edited for clarity of point)

Shanabanana wrote:

yedancer wrote:I don't know. I've had people request salsa, polka, and even heavy metal.

Nonono, he didn't ask for polka...he asked for Lawrence Fricking Welk!

It's not as surprising that he was asking me to play it that he wanted to hear it.

would you play him some Glenn Miller instead? this is a hijack, but I was watching the History of Jazz last night and Artie Shaw compared Glenn Miller to Lawrence Welk - more of a businessman than a musician -- I just started cracking up.

Soupbone wrote:

Drew wrote:The best I ever got was when I was in Nashville about a year and a half ago at an after-hours dance. Some girl from Atlanta came up and asked:

"Do you have any Kim Cattrall?"

Atlanta, eh? Now I'm intriguiged (trying to remember which Atlanta ladies attended last year's MC2....)

It was at an event there three months before MC2.

Drew wrote:[
It was at an event there three months before MC2.

My bad!

Guy: Do you have September by Earth Wind and Fire?
Me: No
Guy: Do you have any Cha Cha music
Me: No
Guy: Do you have any salsa
Me: No
Guy: You mean to tell me that all you have on that computer is swing music?
Me: Yes

sonofvu wrote:Guy: Do you have September by Earth Wind and Fire?
Me: No
Guy: Do you have any Cha Cha music
Me: No
Guy: Do you have any salsa
Me: No
Guy: You mean to tell me that all you have on that computer is swing music?
Me: Yes

Yes, you are referring to Ed. He bothers every Austin DJ, same exact request, every week, like clock work. Ask Colin, Scott, Matt Jones, it is like a broken record.

He comes up at the end of the dance, asks me to play September, which I usually don't have on me. Then he wants to know if I have his any latin and salsa. I always tell him that I don't have any. He then starts saying that it would be really cool if the last 10-15 minutes of the Syndicate dances were all latin.

I just tell him no.

I am probably the most request friendly DJ around, but Ed crosses the line.

Bet you a water that it happens again tonight during Matt Jones' closing set.