Remembering My First Fun 107 DJ Gig on National DJ Day

It's National Disc Jockey Day and all I can think about is the very first time I laid hands upon the 1s and 2s.

Although it may not come as a shocker, Fun 107 provided me with my first shot in the DJ biz, but truth be told – and I can now admit this – I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. All I know is that opportunity knocked and I sure as hell was answering that door.

As if it was yesterday, I can recall the entire night as clear as a bright sunny day. Fun 107 had a Coors Light Night/Summertime party aboard a Seastreak Fast Ferry and my promotions manager at the time, Kristen Pacheco, asked me if I wanted to DJ it.

Prior to that night, the only time I've ever been around any type of DJ equipment was when I was a roadie for Michael Rock or Scott Reiniche. I even ran a photo booth for my good friend Brenden Lafferty, who to this day I owe my life to for always troubleshooting any snags I would run into these days with DJ software complications. Whenever they had gigs, I would go with them and help with setup and breakdown, so I was well aware of how the equipment worked, but never until that day ever fired up the mixer and let loose.

Well, that night, on August 31, 2014, a DJ was born and that DJ was me.

It might sound odd, but I believe if my memory holds strong, that the very first song I played was Aerosmith's "Dude Looks Like A Lady." I saw that it was a mixed crowd and wanted something that would get the party started; apparently, Steven Tyler came to mind at the time. All around me, our listeners and staff were dancing about and having a good time with the Coors Light crew and it was exactly what I've been waiting for up to the point in my life.

The rest of the night was as wild as wild can be and most certainly one that began as a stepping stone to my success thus far.

From the radio to weddings, to birthday parties and local bars or clubs, there's not much I haven't done in this area, and although it's been a struggle for the entirety of 2020, I know that businesses and clubs will be open once again soon enough. For now, I'm just happy to be behind my favorite mixer of all – the one that powers Fun 107's Michael and Maddie. There's nowhere else I'd rather be.

Lastly, to all the DJs around the country, I wish you all a happy National DJ Day from one disc jockey to another. Keep the hits coming, never stop the hustle and always remember where you first started.

#NationalDiscJockeyDay