DJ Grill Time: What If They Don't Dance?
I sit down with Jimmy of Lutz Entertainment of Poughkeepsie, NY to grill him for tips about how to have an amazing, fun party.
Now, I know Jimmy personally going into this (I witnessed his party prowess first hand at my own wedding!) and since I also know that he has over 20 years of experience as both a singer and song writer, I need to figure out how his musical expertise translates to the world of DJ entertainment.He's studied drums and chord progressions for song long that Jimmy has developed this bizarre ability to recognize a song just by the beat. In a "Stump the DJ" contest between him and my husband, Jeff, I find myself wondering who would win.
"Are you ready for this?" I challenge him. "I already know you're da bomb."
Jimmy laughs, the picture of the amiable guy next door you'd share a beer with. "Go ahead, Steph."
I put on my serious interviewer face. "What is the most important factor in hiring your entertainment?"
Jimmy clasps his hands in thought and explains how important it is to make sure you are totally comfortable with who you hire as your DJ. "Make sure you gel with them and they really understand your vision," he adds. "And always ask them this question...What do you do if people aren't dancing?"
I agree that this is a good question and a tough one to answer. "So what answer clues me in that this DJ actually knows what he's talking about?" I ask.
Jimmy lays it out for me in 3 points:
- The DJ needs to go in knowing as much as possible about the group. If that DJ's idea is, "I'm gonna pull out the standards," and the standard [wedding songs] don't work...they need to be flexible enough to try something different.
- True great music always gets people on the dance floor...and those songs aren't necessarily in the top 200 requested list.
- They should be willing to play songs people don't typically hear at a wedding.
"So if my DJ demonstrates flexibility and willingness to listen to what I want, he's probably a good choice?" I ask.
Jimmy nods his head.
I continue. "What ideas have you seen that really work to get a party rolling?"
Jimmy smiles, remembering. "The snowball dance is great. I was so worried that it would be cheesy at first."
"That's where you explain to the guests that the bride and groom will start dancing and every time you call out, ‘Snowball!' the couple invites someone new to the dance floor, and then you call out ‘Snowball!' again and again until everyone is on the dance floor, right?"
"That's right," he says, warming to his story. "The only rule is that you can't refuse the invitation. You start out with just the bride and groom and pretty soon you've got everyone on the dance floor. It adds a real sense of togetherness to be invited to dance.
"It's also hilarious! At this backyard wedding on a huge property, I saw a bridesmaid chasing down one of the groomsmen to get him to dance. The girls joined to lasso him in, and he was the last person to join the dance floor. It was great!"
I clear my throat and prepare myself for the next question. "If you were a song, what song would you be?"
Jimmy shoots me a questioning look that clearly asks, Are you for real? Except Jimmy is too polite to actually say that.
I shrug sheepishly and tell him that Jeff made me ask this one.
"Of course!" He gives a hearty laugh.
"Don't Stop Believin' by Journey." Jimmy looks wistfully off in the distance. "It's my anthem...and that was long before that Soprano's episode!"
I'm not surprised by the answer; Jimmy sings a mean Steve Perry!
"It reminds us not to have fear-something I try to always remember," Jimmy says. He sits back and laughs again. "Or maybe I should pick ‘Boom Boom Pow.' I am da bomb, you know."
I laugh with him, Jimmy "Da Bomb" Lutz.
Jimmy Lutz is the owner of Lutz Entertainment Mobile DJ and Karaoke Service and can be contacted at Lutz Entertainment.