Atlanta DJs Blog

Lately I’ve been playing around with ChatGPT and Microsoft CoPilot and discovering all that the new artificial intelligence is capable of. I was goofing around just now and in CoPilot, I typed, Ted Crowder – Atlanta DJ. This is what is got:

Ted Crowder, an accomplished Atlanta DJ, has left a lasting impression on many events, especially weddings. His ability to emcee, announce events, and read the crowd is commendable. Let’s take a closer look at what people have to say about his work:

1. Wedding Testimonial: Bride and Groom Mike and Lindsey expressed their gratitude by sending a heartfelt video testimonial to Atlanta DJ Ted Crowder. Their sweet words highlight the impact he made on their special day ¹.
2. WeddingWire Review: Another couple raves about their wedding night with DJ Ted Crowder. His perfect sound levels, crowd-pleasing music, and dance floor magic created an unforgettable experience ².
3. Professional Background: Beyond his DJ talents, Ted Crowder is a Communications Webmaster at Atlanta Bands. His involvement in the Greater Atlanta NACE board showcases his commitment to the industry ³.
4. Small Wedding Excellence: For a small wedding of 50 guests, Ted Crowder proved to be the perfect fit. He flawlessly cued ceremony music and emceed the reception with class and flair ⁴.

Whether it’s a grand celebration or an intimate gathering, Ted Crowder knows how to set the mood and keep the party going.

Me Again: That’s pretty darn flattering that that’s what artificial intelligence thinks about me! 🙂

There is a webpage for DJs that lists the 200 most poplar special event dance songs nationwide. There are some songs on there that I’ve never played before. It seems that there are songs that are popular in other parts of the country that aren’t poplar here. But the list certainly come in handy to see what other DJs are playing.

https://www.djintelligence.com/pages/mobilebeatprint.asp <—- Click There

Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and choosing the right professionals to make it memorable is crucial. When it comes to the reception, a skilled and experienced wedding DJ can elevate the atmosphere and ensure that your guests have a fantastic time. Here are some key factors to consider when searching for the perfect wedding DJ to bring the rhythm to your special day.

1. Experience and Expertise: Seek a DJ with extensive experience in the wedding industry. A seasoned professional will possess the expertise to read the crowd, seamlessly transition between songs, and handle any unexpected hiccups that may arise during the event. Check for client reviews and testimonials to gauge their past performance.

2. Diverse Music Selection: A great wedding DJ understands the importance of catering to a diverse audience. Look for someone who can offer a broad range of music genres to accommodate different tastes and age groups. Whether it’s classic hits, current chart-toppers, or specific cultural music, a versatile DJ ensures everyone gets to enjoy the celebration.

3. Interactive and Engaging Presence: A top-notch wedding DJ goes beyond just playing music – they engage with the crowd, create a lively atmosphere, and encourage guests to hit the dance floor. Look for a DJ who can strike the right balance between being entertaining and maintaining professionalism.

4. Personalization: Your wedding is unique, and your DJ should reflect that. Find a DJ who is willing to personalize the playlist according to your preferences and the vibe you want to create. Whether it’s the first dance, father-daughter dance, or a special song that holds sentimental value, a DJ who pays attention to these details can make your wedding truly special.

5. Professional Equipment: Quality sound and lighting equipment are essential for a successful wedding reception. Ensure that your DJ uses professional-grade equipment to deliver clear and crisp sound. Additionally, well-placed lighting can enhance the ambiance and contribute to the overall experience.

6. Planning and Communication: Effective communication and meticulous planning are key. A reliable wedding DJ will work closely with you to understand your vision, coordinate with other vendors, and create a seamless timeline for the evening. Clear communication ensures that everyone is on the same page, contributing to a stress-free celebration.

In conclusion, finding the perfect wedding DJ involves more than just a playlist. Look for experience, versatility, engagement, personalization, quality equipment, and effective communication. By considering these factors, you can rest assured that your wedding DJ will set the right tone for an unforgettable celebration filled with music, laughter, and joy.

[Spotlight on, DJ steps up to the mic] DJ: “Hey, how’s everyone doing tonight? Good? Great! So, I’m a DJ, which means I get paid to press buttons and pretend like I know what I’m doing. It’s like having a superpower, but instead of saving the world, I just make people dance awkwardly and try to look cool doing it.

You know you’re a DJ when you start thinking your iTunes playlist qualifies you for a Grammy. I mean, come on, I can mix ‘Happy Birthday’ with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ and to me, that’s a masterpiece. Move over, Beethoven!

And let’s talk about DJ names for a second. Why do we all have these ridiculous DJ names? I mean, DJ Cupcake? DJ Unicorn? Are we playing music or hosting a kindergarten birthday party? My DJ name is DJ Awkward Pause because, let’s face it, I’m not great with transitions, both in music and in conversations.

Now, everyone thinks DJs have this glamorous life, partying all night, surrounded by adoring fans. The reality is, my most dedicated fan is my neighbor’s dog who howls every time I hit the bass drop. I’m basically a canine EDM sensation.

Have you ever tried explaining what you do as a DJ to your grandparents? It’s like telling a cat to appreciate the nuances of a good beat drop. ‘No, Grandma, I’m not a radio operator, and no, Grandpa, I can’t fix your ancient record player.’

But the best part about being a DJ? The power of the pause. You can build up the anticipation, and when you finally drop that beat, it’s like you’re the puppet master of the dance floor. And if people aren’t dancing? Well, blame it on the faulty speakers or the invisible dance floor gremlins. It’s never the DJ’s fault.

So next time you see a DJ at a party, just remember, we’re not just pushing buttons; we’re orchestrating a symphony of awkward dance moves and questionable song choices. DJ Awkward Pause, signing off! Thank you, you’ve been a great audience!”

This is my dear friend Dan Blankowski.

I’ve known Dan since 1999. On occasions when one of us was booked, we referred the other and on very large events requiring two DJs, we have worked together.

Over the years, we have met for lunch, swapped stories, laughed and ended up talking for three hours or more.

On December 15, 2022, ironically, he was driving to a cardiologist appointment and had a fatal heart attack. I had seen him just a couple of days prior and I was shocked and saddened to hear the news. He was a great friend for many years and he will be missed. But I can see him up there DJing in heaven!

The question I am asked the most is, “How did you become a DJ?”

I have a friend who sang and played guitar in Mexican restaurants. Sometimes, some friends and I would go have dinner and watch my friend perform. We would always sit close to the music and because I knew him, we would talk and joke between songs. It was always a good time and I always enjoyed going, but I always wished that I was the musician and not the customer. I took guitar lessons as a kid and I could kind of carry a tune, so I decided to go to work and become a musician.

I practiced and practiced and studied, it was a lot harder than I thought, but eventually I learned 40 songs. Because in the Mexican restaurant chain I wanted to work in, you played 4 sets of 10 songs each. I auditioned and got the job and was extremely excited. But, it didn’t take long to realize, that job was pretty boring if you didn’t have a table of friends sitting in front of you. Also, I was nowhere NEAR as good a musician as the other musicians out there on the “Taco Tour” I couldn’t take requests. As I mentioned I knew 40 songs the other guys knew hundreds, so I only ended up doing this gig for a few weeks.

As luck would have it, I was humming and strumming away one Friday night and a guy came in and sat fairly close to me at the bar. He watched me for whole songs and clapped after every one, frankly it was kind of creeping me out. Usually people only knew I was alive if I stopped playing and there was no music. So I play though my set, take a break, go to the bar to get a glass of water and this guy walks over to me, he said he noticed I seemed comfortable in front of people and  I was quite a comedian so he asked had I ever considered being a DJ. Well, I was raised Southern Baptist and I had no idea wedding DJ’s existed and I asked, “Like on the radio?”  He explained what a wedding DJ was and said he owned a company that offered wedding DJs and asked me to come by and watch him DJ at a venue that was on my way back to the Mexican restaurant the next night. So I did. I just happen to walk in during the garter and bouquet and I stood there in the doorway thinking, “Oh man, I could do this!”

I immediately went to work for this guy, went to several events with him and then started going out on my own. This was early 1994. I worked for this guy maybe a year and then went to work for a larger company for three more years and then quit my day job and went full time on my own in 1998.

So I always say, “It was my natural talent as a musician that led me straight to a career as a DJ!”

My boy Steve McCoy started DJing on Atlanta radio in 1981 on the station I listened to back in the day Z-93. His job was to be an “on air personality” and he was with a couple of other stations here in Atlanta, also in Dallas and Denver.

On air personalities do all kinds of crazy stuff to be entertaining. Prank phone calls, bogus interviews, remote broadcasts from crazy places etc..

Steve-O was a funny dude for many years in this city. Then he got let go in 2010 and got a job in Denver. His family still lived here and he came home when he could, but as you can imagine that sucked.  He lasted 18 months in Denver and decided to hang it up and move back to A town. He then got a job for news radio 106.7. This isn’t the best fit, old funny boy Steve reporting the news but hey, it’s a paying gig.

So while reporting the news, Steve was expecting a phone call from Donald Trump for an interview and the call never came. Steve, resourceful funny man that he is and having been promoting this interview, whipped out a recording of an old interview and played it as if it was just happening.

Here’s the problem. On a radio station that is mostly music and you are an on air personality, you aren’t expected to be all that credible and if you get busted playing some BS interview, that’s no biggie. BUT… If you are a newscaster on a news radio station and you play some BS interview, it’s yo ass. Because then you are a news reporter who’s just a big fat liar.

If only Steve knew then what he knows now, poor guy. I think he’s 61 and he has Parkinson’s now. I have no idea what his finances are like but I hope he doesn’t need a job to pay the rent.

All in all though, I love ya Steve buddy and I’m sorry this happened to you!

TED — OUT

Source: AJC and AJC

I recently DJ’d a wedding in the Atlanta area and the bride requested that immediately following the first dance I play Uptown Funk and get everyone on the dance floor followed by a couple more upbeat songs and have a quick little party before the meal was served. Then continue the party after everyone was finished eating.

Well, as luck would have it, one of my speakers stopped playing 20 seconds into Uptown Funk. It was a rather large crowd and I could “limp” through the beginning party with just the one speaker and sub but the sound wasn’t as full as it should have been.

I ran to my truck and grabbed a backup speaker, ran back in and plugged it in in place of the dead speaker, nothing. Uptown Funk was almost over. I had two XLR cables between my mixer and the dead speaker. I mix into the second song and replace the first XLR cable with a different cable, nothing. I then replace the second cable and still, nothing. Well, there’s only one thing left, the cable going from my laptop to the input on my mixer. The only way I can change that is to lose sound for a second to both speakers. I wait for the second song to end, yank the cable out and say into the microphone, “Let’s hear it for the Bride and Groom!” But I said their names. While I was saying that and everyone cheered, I plugged the new cable in and sure enough it solved my problem without anyone ever knowing I had a problem.

From the time I lost sound from one speaker to the time I troubleshot and fixed the problem was roughly six minutes. Two of those minutes was waiting for the second song to end. That, among other things is what a professional DJ can do for you that an iPod or a hobbiest DJ cannot.

The show must go on! Any professional quality DJ should be able to do that repair on the fly. It’s definitely something you want at your wedding. If one speaker quits during the first party song and you have to go the remainder of the time with just one speaker, that’s not going to be very fun. ;-(

So the moral of the story is hire a good DJ who can insure you a great wedding day! YAY!

Ted — OUT!

 

So apparently in 2013 a radio DJ went on a meet and greet with his girlfriend to meet Taylor Swift. The details are pretty sketchy and why is this coming to light two years later?

1. Taylor says, “He lifted my skirt and grabbed my butt.”
2. The DJ got fired.
3. He sued for his lost income and claims it wasn’t him but he knows who it was.
4. The radio station says, “Oh nuh nuh no, we have evidence it was you.”

In my 21 years as a DJ, nary a butt have I grabbed, but didn’t she slap him or scream or something? Didn’t anyone have an iPhone on the sitch? Oh well, let’s hope justice prevails.

TC – Atlanta DJ and non butt grabber – OUT!~

Source: AJC 

It appears that Atlanta DJ Steve Rickman had a chance to interview the cast of the movie Fantastic Four and pretty much blew it. His primary focus was Kate Mara’s hair and he had a moment of racism. They didn’t specifically say so but from the sound of the video the cast just got up and left in the middle. He doesn’t do weddings so no worries there. But you normally expect a little more  upstanding behavior out of and type of professional Atlanta DJ. Come on Steve!

Source: Interview Article