Feedback from High School Reunion Client

Hello Gregg -

Thank you again for a wonderful night - Everyone commented
on you and the music!  My sister is going to be planning her
20th and will be contacting you also!  Any other events I
have out your way or people asking for a DJ I will forward
your info.  You were awesome and I know we will work again
soon - put me down for 2015 day after Thanksgiving! :)
I am a planner can you tell!  Thanks again and have a
wonderful holiday season!

Jennifer

High School Reunion Gig Review

Yesterday I played at a 10 Year High School reunion up in Long Valley, NJ. It was in a brew pub called the Long Valley Pub & Brewery. The drive was scenic, through the farm land on Route 517 on winding roads. The load-in was a bit difficult.... through the restaurant and then up a long flight of stairs. Upstairs was like a big rectangle with an opening in the center, looking down onto the first floor bar. The ceilings were high and pitched and the walls of stone. There was a bar on the frontside of the second floor. I was directly across the room in a rather thin channel, but projecting the music straight at the heavily populated bar. The sides of the room had tables for eating and quiet conversations. Space was sparse and there were numerous wooden beams to navigate, but we finally situated the video screen on one of the sides of the room, safely in the corner.

The DVD presentation was excellent. Great flow, nice music mix. It looked very colorful and clear on the big screen. One of their classmates was killed in an auto accident at the age of 21 after graduation, leaving behind a wife and infant child. There was a nice in memoriam section in the video, and some of his relatives were in attendance.

Earlier in the evening, with the restaurant patrons downstairs enjoying their meals, the music had to be kept lower volume. Earlier in the evening I played lots of period pieces - Alanis Morrisette, Blues Traveller, Hootie & Blowfish, Ace of Base, Spice Girls, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, C&C Music Factory, Technotronic and Real McCoy. One of the most eclectic requests of the evening was "Far Behind" by Candlebox... I have this CD, but never had a request for it!

The bulk of the guests came in a bus, so if you guessed that there would be some heavy drinking, you'd be correct. That bar remained the focal point for the remainder of the evening, and I tilted the musical program towards the hip hop - dance party.... then with the late night rock n' roll sing-along. The second to last song of the evening, which was wildly successful, was "Just a Lil Bit" by 50 Cent. Then I closed with "Times of Your Life". I received a nice tip and used part of it to get some assistance taking the speakers down the stairs.

Somebody from the downstairs bar paid me $10 to play that "Pee Wee Herman" song; of course, "Tequila." I obliged, and later found out that it was some inside joke against the downstairs bartender who bore a striking resemblance to Pee Wee, aka the disgraced Paul Reubens.

Holiday Mix - Liner Notes

CSI Miami Mix - LINER NOTES

Introduction - DJ Jagged returns with a 2005 holiday mix titled “CSI Miami Mix”. As thorough as a Horatio Caine investigation and sexier than a Saturday night in Miami, this year’s mix is a departure from last year’s genre-specific mix focusing on the 80s. The CSI Miami Mix blends genres ranging from alternative rock to old school rap; from disco to sleazy Miami house. An eclectic tonic with the punch of Long Island iced tea, this DJ Jagged mix could become your favorite ever. Guest audio drops by Elle. Compiled and mixed live on November 17, 2005 in Lawrenceville, NJ. This mix is structured as a continuous, single-track 74 minute mix, designed to be listened to at high volume and in a dance party context.

Hung Up - Madonna. Madonna is back on her horse with this vigorous 125 beats per minute dance cover version.

Axel F – Crazy Frog. This uptempo remix with the gibberish of a neurotic frog is certain to provoke discussion among your friends.

Holiday – Green Day. Green Day had a strong 2005, and it’s hard not to be a fan.

Suga, We’re Goin’ Down – Fall Down Boy. Great song, catchy hook and novel music video.

Hash Pipe – Weezer. At the last minute, I scratched the downtempo “Beverly Hills”, replacing it with an edgier Weezer track – in fact, one of Mike Z’s favorites.

Roxanne, Roxanne - UTFO. Vintage old school rap as recently played at Club 2606, with lines like “Dermatology is treatment of the skin” laid down by Kangol.

Do You See? – Warren G. Melodic West Coast old school rap. You can almost see the palm trees and feel the Malibu breezes. Just don’t get caught in the crossfire of a “drive-by.” (explicit lyrics)

Hollaback Girl (Excerpt) - Have you ever had that hook “this sh** is bananas…B-A-N-A- ANAS” stuck in your mind? Do you know what a Hollaback girl is?

Me So Horny – 2 Live Crew (Puritanical Puree Remix). Grab your gin and juice and report to the dance floor!

Flap Your Wings – Nelly. The Nutty Esq. bachelor party cruised Las Vegas Blvd. in a limo with this song blasting in the back.

If You Leave – Lumidee. The beat is reminiscent of horse hooves clapping on the cobblestones. Get your groove on with DJ Jagged.

Flashdance – Deep Dish. What DJ Jagged mix would be complete without its diversions into electronic dance music? Deep Dish’s Flash Dance has no relationship to the Irene Cara version. However, this catchy song fuses rock riffs with house beats, slithering like a snake between tension and release.

Follow This Beat – Paul Johnson. This song was featured in the CSI Miami episode where the plane crashed right on the beach. It has a dark, gritty late night feel – just like downtown Miami. Shout-outs to Hard Cor and the Cardellos. Oh, and don’t forget a special shout-out to sleuth Horatio Caine.

I Feel Love – Donna Summer. While not Donna Summer’s most popular song, I Feel Love has a repetitive, intoxicating beat perfect for a late night dance floor. This is a theme song as club Space in downtown Miami.

Next Life – Meat Katie. Extracted from one of my favorite albums – James Lavelle, Barcelona. Lavelle specializes in playing out catchy beats and breaks such as this song by UK producer, Meat Katie.

Rapture – Blondie, with Jim Morrison infusions. The ghost of Jim Morrison lingers in this experimental blend by DJ Jagged. True or false – Jim Morrison once dated Deborah Harry, making this mix even more profound.

The Crystal Method versus The Doors – Roadhouse Blues. The Doors remixed into the driving techno style of West Coast duo, the Crystal Method.

On the Road – Reverend Run. This old school virtuoso is back, rocking harder than ever to a Joan Jett sample. RIP Jam Master Jay.

Gold Digger – Kanye West with Jamie Foxx. Don’t be afraid to succumb to this late night sing-a-long (explicit lyrics).

Soldier (Remix) – Destiny’s Child. Dazzling Beyonce and company returned strong in 2004 and 2005. Vocalist Elle intrudes with numerous allusions to her favorite B celebrity.

The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face – Marcia Griffiths. This beautiful ballad as sung by Marcia Griffiths (of Electric Slide fame!) is a soothing closer.

Final Events of 2005

As it turns out, some minor events have trickled in for December, making it a respectable month after all. Some extra holiday cash is always welcome, with friends and family reaping the dividends!

Friday, November 25th- 10 Year High School Reunion, Long Valley, NJ

Friday, December 2nd - ChurchYouth Group dance, Eatontown, NJ

Saturday, December 3rd- Genghis Khan Festival, Amer-Mongolian Dinner, North Brunswick, NJ

Sunday, December 11th - Holiday Christmas Party with Posse, NJ Shore (non-DJ)

Friday, December 16th - "Christmas in Edison", Burge's party (non-DJ)

Saturday, December 17th - Corporate Christmas Lunch Party, East Brunswick

Thursday, December 29th - 40th Birthday Party, Hillsborough, NJ

Saturday, December 31st - Church New Year's Eve party; possible late night set at Club 2606, Wall, NJ

Sat., January 7th, 2006 (!) - Surprise birthday party, Freehold, NJ

Satisfied Client E-Mail

This is the sort of e-mail that I love to receive!

Dear Gregg,
 
I apologize for getting back to you so late but I just wanted
to thank you soooo much for the great party you hosted for my
husbands 40th Birthday  party at The Knights Of Columbus in
Garwood, NJ. I had gotten so many  compliments about how great
you were and I was truly impressed. I went to work  that Monday 
and handed out your business cards to everyone I could. I wish
I had  met you two years ago so you could have played at our
wedding that's how great  you were. Your talent, your set up
and your customer service is truly  impressive. I wish you all
the best in your business and will surely be using  you for all 
and any upcoming events!

If you ever need to use me as a reference pleases do not
hesitate to do  so.

All the best to you!
 
Sincerely,

Jennifer Grzenda
Piscataway, NJ

Doubling Up

This past weekend, I "worked a double". In other words, two parties in a single day. The DJ'ing is the easy part. The moving the gear around is the physically draining part. I also had an entrenched head cold courtesy of the Kiddie Academy.

Gig one was a twins' six year old birthday party in River Edge, near Paramus. It was held in an American Legion Hall - nice comfortable room. About 30 5-6 year olds attended, and had a blast. Each girl had her own song, or "shout out", music videos were in effect, a photo slideshow of the girls and their friends played on the big screen, and then I shot and displayed some photos of the party. The parents ordered lots of props from www.partypinto.com. My suggestion of a mummy wrap game was popular with the girls. The parents were pleased and tipped me $40. Nice family and people.

Gig two was a 25th surprise wedding anniversary at the Pines Manor in Edison. The room was on the first floor, resulting in an easier load-in than on some of my past visits to this large facility. The room however was small relative to the number of guests, and I had limited room to spread out. The multi-height ceilings and omnipresent chandeliers posed a problem for setting up my video screen at a sufficiently close distance to the projector. The honorary couple was very surprised, particularly the wife, who had a more animated reaction than a Mega Millions jackpot winner. She was stunned. The client was somewhat demanding. I hope that their expectations were met, but I'm not sure. They pre-paid with a $50 tip. My energy levels were still high at midnight, but started to fade after 12:30 AM. I unloaded the car at 1 AM, had some hot tea, hopped in bed at 2 AM, and then was up at 7 AM for church. My head was stuffed and my muscles very sore.

Following church, we attended a "Welcome to New Jersey Brunch" in honor of Julie H. at the Mill in Spring Lake. We sat up in the bar with a great view of the lake on a sunny autumn day. The food was great, and the camraderie high.

In the afternoon, several of us went on to view "Jarhead", a movie about Operation Desert Storm, which wasn't much of a conflict after all. It was disappointing, but still a relaxing afternoon. It's hard to get to the movies these days.

Prince "Kiko" is getting cuter every day, and he now giggles in addition to smiling.

Registering a Fresh Domain

In planning for the future, I registered a new website...... www.djjagged.com

This will be my electronica - club DJ site, differentiating it from my mobile site, or this blog. I have come to understand that they are two separate worlds and approaches.

Perhaps Struggler can assist on the design of the djjagged website. Its design will be more artsy and minimalistic.

Zach, the Power Ranger and Class

 

Parade Preparation

 

Preschool Parade

 

Ms. Sol and the Class

 

Max's First Halloween