HIRO, NEW YORK CITY
What do you get when a club promoter offers his resident DJ a chance to cut out a little early a then takes a shot on an eager newbie in town? The answer - an opportunity for a West Coast turntable-ist with a bi-coastal dream and a dance floor that didn’t die until 4am.
Los Angeles based DJ Journey rocked upscale, dual-level nightclub Hiro Saturday night, making his New York DJ debut a night to remember. Journey pumped out new school chart toppers with old school hits, all while paying careful attention to what kept the crowd swaying to the music. Journey’s unique style and ability to blend varied beats, while mixing multiple genres across the board, registered with the club-goers and kept the promoters who gave him the opportunity nodding their heads in approval. The opportunity is something Journey says he is extremely excited about and grateful for. After all, making the transition from the Hollywood night scene to the ultra-competitive New York City scene hasn’t been as easy as some might think.
For the past four months Chicago native DJ Journey has been packing a light suit case, grabbing stand-by flights, and heading to NY to knock on every DJ management company and booking agent’s door, trying to get a gig in the city that never sleeps and dances until dawn. Handing out mix tapes, bios and resumes-complete with his impressive list of residencies held in the glamorous Los Angeles, including celeb spot Goa and world famous Vanguard, DJ Journey markets himself like a pro.
However; this one-man show without an agent or manager couldn’t seem to catch a break. Managers, promoters and club owners alike all took his CDs and listened to his story, but no one bit. Some said they weren’t taking on new clients, others promised they’d get back to him, but the end result was always the same: no gig in New York.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to make the cross-over but I had no idea how hard it could be. I wasn’t sure if it was a thing where promoters and owners wanted to keep west coast DJ’s in the west and east in the east or if they weren’t willing to book me solely based on a CD mixtape. Journey confessed, "All I knew was that I wanted to work in this city know matter what.”
So, Journey continued to make that monthly trip to New York, socialize with the small group of people he knew and educate himself by frequenting whatever club he could get into to watch the DJ’s that were given the opportunity he was hoping to get next. That much desired and awaited opportunity came Saturday night when a promoter that DJ Journey had been contacting and talking to took a chance on him. A jack–of-all-trades, top promoter, creative-club director and business owner who has booked top spinners like Stretch Armstrong and Mark Ronson, Daniel Lara, decided to bank that DJ Journey’s CDs were as good as his live act and let him take to the stage.
At 11:30pm Journey arrived at the 16th Street and 9th Avenue club complete with gymnasts dangling from the 20 foot ceiling and jaw-dropping interior Asian designs. Daniel and his business partner Otto, Ade, a veteran NY promoter with an ear for music talent who’s work with great DJs like Reg West, told Journey he’d hit the tables around 2am. That left Journey with a two hour time slot to impress the promoters, keep the dance floor packed, and show New York that a little west coast love can be a good thing!
One hour and forty-five minutes later girls in stilettos and the guys they brought with them were still glued to the dance-floor with no signs of calling it a night.
“I danced non-stop until the last song ended,” said one clubgoer when asked her impression of the night. “The vibe, the music and his style were amazing – I couldn’t stop dancing!”
The experience left this DJ with an appreciation for the New York night scene and a desire to make himself a permanent part of it. Journey, a veteran DJ for over twelve years, caters to a wide range of music lovers and plays everything from 80’s electro to old school rock. He says if there is any city where he can find people who appreciate it all, it’s New York.
“This is the greatest city in the world, and music culture here is amazing. This is definitely a place where I can continue to be creative musically and grow as a DJ.”
Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for the sounds of DJ Journey, coming to a New York City club near you.
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