DJs For Lovers

Hustle & Bump: Song of the Day - I'm Ready

2012-02-24T09:24:00.001-08:00

In honor of my guest turn tonight at Sean Lovelace's Hustle & Bump Disco Funk night. Here is some Kano.

Happy Valentine's Day: A Soundtrack

2012-02-14T06:27:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all our clients future, present and past. We wish you a wonderful day.

DJs for Lovers spent this past Sunday buying and selling records at the DC Record Fair. Several of my purchases from Sunday contain great songs for Valentine's Day. I hope you enjoy.

I finally found a great mono copy of Johnny Taylor's LP, Wanted One Soul Singer. This is my favorite cut from the album and it is a killer.

Muddy Water's Electric Mud might not be an album full of love songs, but this one speaks for itself.

I'll end with this definitive disco cut, Atmosphere Strut by Cloud One.

Got to Give it Up to the Don of Soul

2012-02-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

RIP to Don Cornelius host and creator of Soul Train, quite possibly the best music program ever on television. In honor of Don Cornelius here is a classic Marvin Gaye performance from the show.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: Milkshake

2012-01-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

There comes a point late in a wedding when things start to get crazy, in a good way. The level of bass is a huge contributing factor. This song has caused many parties to cross that line.

Song of the Day: Heartbeat

2012-01-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

Buddy Holly died tragically in a plane crash at 22. He left behind some great music. Heartbeat is one of my favorites to play at weddings. It is a great cocktail hour/dinner song.

Soulpower Dance Party

2011-12-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to DJing this Saturday night at Balliceaux with Soulpower for their monthly DJ/Bar night. It's the last one of the year, so it's sure to be bumpin'. Good music, cool bartenders, and lots of Party People. What more could you ask for?

Song of the Day: Happy Birthday Mike!

2011-12-01T06:19:00.001-08:00

The Hippodrome Theatre

2011-11-30T18:15:00.001-08:00

Really enjoyed going to see the premiere of the locally made documentary Pimento Cheese Please. And not just because it was about delicious Southern food. But, I also got to check out the recently renovated Hippodrome Theatre. Located in historic Jackson Ward on 2nd Street, The Hippodrome played a major role in Richmond's African American, arts and entertainment culture in the first half of the 20th century. It's the venue where Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown and many other talented performers would play. The renovations look amazing! Would love to DJ there some day.

Song of the Day: Nick Drake

2011-11-29T13:03:00.001-08:00

After a 70 degree Thanksgiving it is finally getting cold in Virginia. These dark cool afternoons put me in the mood for Nick Drake.

Song of the De La: Roller Skating Jam

2011-11-18T10:25:00.001-08:00

I may be jumping the gun on Saturday, but this songs is great from start to finish. Enjoy your weekend.

What makes a song classic?

2011-11-14T07:37:00.001-08:00

Every year there are a new set of songs I play at every wedding. The songs work, everyone knows them, they get people dancing.

Flash forward a year or two and maybe one or two of those songs will still get played. The rest fall into the bucket of forgotten and dated pop songs. They sit unplayed and forgotten or sometimes loathed like the Disco Ducks and Achy Breaky Hearts that came before.

What makes a song classic? What about a classic song makes it transcend its own time?

Slate writers attempted to compile a list of the cultural classics of the past 11 years. They included the Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling" and readers let them know it was a bad choice. It may have been a hit last year, but it will not stick around. It will follow "Let's Get it Started" into the the bucket of hits no one wants to hear anymore.

My favorite part of the article mentions DJs for Lovers song of the day "Hey Ya":

Not all reader reactions to “I Gotta Feeling” were purely negative, though; several respondents helpfully suggested that Outkast’s 2003 hit “Hey Ya!” would make a much better choice of timeless earworm.

You can read the full Slate article here.

Song of the Day: Dance Tonight

2011-11-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

Raphael Saadiq, Dawn Robinson and Ali Shaheed Muhammad were RnB super group Lucy Pearl. They only made one album together, but damn was it good.

Song of the Day: You Must be Love

2011-11-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

Today is a beautiful sunny fall day, perfect timing for some Smokey Robinson.

Song of the Day: Electric Feel (Justice Rmx)

2011-11-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

This was another recent request that I had not played out it in a while. It is a good dance song and has held up well. Some dance songs have a really short shelf life. I have tons of songs that used to kill at clubs and weddings, but don't work at all any more. I definitely prefer the remix version of this one.

Song of the Day: Frank Ocean

2011-11-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

This was the first Frank Ocean song I listened to. It samples a Cold Play song I don't particularly like, but then I don't particularly like Cold Play. Frank Ocean's take on this song is fantastic. I'm not going to get into Odd Future on this blog, because there isn't much from them that would ever work at a wedding. Frank Ocean is an exception, he has a great voice and doesn't over-sing everything like some current pop stars. It is nice to see him on recent high profile albums like Watch the Throne. I expect we will hear a lot more from him in the next few years.

Song of the Day: Hey Ya!

2011-11-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

Some songs seem brilliant right away and then they blow up and you hear them everywhere. Then you never want to hear them again. Hey Ya! seemed like that song in 2003 and 2004, but the song has lasting power and continues to fill dance floors at weddings.

Song(s) of the Day: The Cure Edition

2011-10-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

My first memory of The Cure was a giant poster of Robert Smith that hung on my oldest sisters bedroom wall. With his wild hair and eye makeup it was a pretty memorable image. I have had several couples request a Cure song or two at their wedding. Though the group and particularly front man Robert Smith are frequently associated with melancholia, they have some brilliant love songs too.

Close to Me and Love Cats are two of my favorites.

Song of the Day: Burning Down the House

2011-10-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

This song of the day is dedicated to my 15 month old daughter who dances, claps and gets super happy whenever I put on the brilliant Talking Heads Live LP Stop Making Sense. My kid has good taste. We'll just have to keep the matches out of reach.

Song of the Day: Higher and Higher

2011-10-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

Mr. Excitement, Jackie Wilson was one of music's greatest showmen. "Higher and Higher" is a great dance floor filler to this day. This live version features Wilson's famous dance moves. I don't think he ever stopped moving on stage. Amazing!

Boathouse at Rocketts Landing

2011-10-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend I DJed a reception at the Boathouse at Rocketts Landing. This was my first time working at the Boathouse.

The staff was on point, the food was excellent and the view was spectacular. The Boathouse is located right on the James with a full view of the Richmond skyline. The banquet room offers plenty of space but still feels intimate, which is a great combination for dancing.

If you are looking for a venue for your wedding reception or party I would highly recommend checking out the Boathouse.

Song of the Day - Let Me Clear My Throat

2011-10-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

DJ Kool, more a hype man than rapper or DJ managed to transfer the GoGo club vibe onto wax as few have done before or after. To this day it is universally loved and gets people dancing and shouting along.

"Some of yall might get with this some of yall won't?" If you can't get with this, you might be dead, see your doctor.

Song of the Day - Radiohead - All I Need

2011-10-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

The lack of many other decent mainstream yet boundary pushing rock bands makes Radiohead stand out. That said there are not many Radiohead songs that work well at weddings. All I Need is an exception, I have played this during several cocktail hours. It is not a great pick for dancing though. They can't all be dance songs though.

Song of the Day - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

2011-10-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

This was the first dance song at my own wedding. Our version was played live by a great Bluegrass/Jazz trio, but this Marcia Griffiths version is awesome too. You might wonder why a wedding DJ didn't have a DJ at his own wedding. The answer, there was no power source where my wife and I got married.

Song of the Day - You Got It - Etta James

2011-10-12T13:31:00.001-07:00

It's rainy and gray outside, but nothing brightens up a day like Etta James. Time to go outside and dance around in the rain.

More great reviews

2011-10-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

As a wedding DJ and business owner nothing makes me happier than a couple who is pleased with our service. We strive to offer every client a personalized, professional and friendly experience. Here is a recent 5 star review on the knot from one of our clients.

From the very begining Alex was awesome to work with. He made my husband and I feel very comfortable. He did everything asked of him and more. We had such a great time at our wedding reception and all of my guests commented on how good he was. We even had to change a few things last minute and he handled it with class. I'd reccomend him to anyone. Thanks!

Song of the Day - Unknown Legend

2011-10-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks full of fall weddings and family trips. We're back with another song of the day.

Neil Young is a favorite of mine. This is an example of a how economical he can be as a songwriter. What a short, simple and sweet song...

Song of the Day - Bowie

2011-09-16T05:47:00.000-07:00

80's pop dance music at its best.

Song of the Day: Can We Pretend

2011-09-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

Classic music from Bill Withers for today's song of the day. This is a great slow dance song, which also plays well during dinner or the cocktail hour of a wedding.

Why an iPod can't replace a good DJ?

2011-09-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

I have talked to several folks in recent years who thought it would be a good idea to replace a wedding DJ with an iPod or other type of preset play list at their wedding. In each case things didn't work out well. While I understand not all budgets are equal and some couples need to cut costs, here are the reasons why you should hire a professional DJ for your wedding reception.

An iPod will not provide announcements.
An iPod will not help keep your reception on schedule.
An iPod cannot read the crowed to see what is working and make changes accordingly.
A professional wedding DJ can bring a huge list of wedding tested songs you may not have thought to play but work to keep your guests dancing.
A professional wedding DJ can properly gauge the sound in the room and adjust levels accordingly.
A professional wedding DJ can troubleshoot and resolve technical problems quickly.
A professional wedding DJ will make your reception a party to remember.

If you need a DJ for your wedding or private party, contact DJs for Lovers today.

Song of the Day - Around the World

2011-09-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Classic Daft punk for a Wednesday afternoon. I don't play this for every wedding, but when it fits it works really well.

Song of the Day - Stevie Wonder

2011-09-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Stevie is one of the greatest to ever do it and no wedding is complete without his music.

Song of the Day - Wilco - Jesus Ect.

2011-09-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Wiclo's - Jesus Ect. is a great slow dance song. It also works well during dinner or the cocktail hour. Every time I play this song at a wedding someone comes up to me to ask who it is or compliment the choice. The credit belongs to Wilco on this one.

Song of the Day - Happy Birthday Otis!

2011-09-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

Otis Redding would have been 70 years old today. This is one of my favorite songs to play at weddings.

Our Philosophy on Selecting Songs

2011-09-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

Many couples ask us how we select songs to play at weddings.

We tailor each wedding or event to the couple. It is important for us to interview the bride and groom about what they want and about the demographics of their wedding party. We use the couples specific requests as a guide to help us select music throughout the reception. We also use our judgment, honed in clubs and countless weddings, to get guests dancing and keep them going through the night.

Mostly we play classic music, modern pop songs and special requests that everyone can dance too. We do not play cheesy wedding songs, i.e Macarana, YMCA ect. unless we are specifically asked to do so.

Please call us today if you are interested in our services. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

First Dance Songs

2011-09-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

I have DJed countless weddings in the greater Richmond area and while I frequently hear the same mother/son & father/daughter dance songs, I rarely play the same first dance song at multiple weddings.

A first dance song is something deeply personal between the bride and groom. They are not picking a song to impress their guests or get anyone else dancing. It is about picking a song they find meaningful.

At many weddings guests ask me to play their own first dance song as a request. The song a couple picks will remain a part of them for the rest of their life. Providing a quick flash back to the day of their wedding.

Another Happy Couple

2011-09-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here is another testimonial from one of our clients:

Thank you SO much for a GREAT wedding reception! I can't tell you how many people came up to me to compliment us on a great DJ...everyone had SO much fun!...I'd love others to know more about you!

Happy Couple

2011-09-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent testimonial for our DJ services:

I cannot recommend Alex Verno more highly. I tend to be especially opinionated about music and feel that music makes a party and was therefore very concerned about hiring a cheesy DJ. However, Alex listened closely to our tastes and interests and provided a great music experience. We received numerous compliments about the music selection during dinner and the dance floor was packed the entire night. In fact, since our reception, three different couples have requested our playlist. Alex's dj skills (and the open bar!) made our wedding reception so much fun and a huge success.

Working With Your Wedding Photographer

2011-07-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a great blog post about how to get the best possible pictures from your wedding photographer. The first step is hiring a great vendor, but these tips will help make everything run smoothly on your big day.

After the wedding it's too late to say "Oh no, you didn't get a photograph of me and my cousin 3 times removed and she's so important to me - we grew up together!" Sure, there are photographs that you expect your photographer to take for you without you giving them instructions (you and your parents and siblings, your groom and his parents and siblings, both of you with any grandparents you have at the wedding). But we wedding photographers are not mind readers, so we are not going to know what pictures are important to you. So here are a few tips to help you make sure you get the most out of your wedding photographer.

Read the full article here.

Wedding Toasts

2011-07-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

We DJ a lot of weddings each year and see all manner of wedding speeches. This article from Slate does a great job highlighting what to avoid and what to cover.

Here is my favorite section:

Above all, remember that this is not about you and your "thoughts." It is all too easy to turn a wedding toast into a proprietary statement that asserts your closeness to the bride and/or groom. Or into an extension of your pitiful antics at open-mic night. Or into another expression of your bitter disapproval of the surrender at Appomattox. No.

Click here to read the full article.

How We Decide What Songs to Play

2010-02-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

One of the most frequent question we are asked by couples is, how do you decide what to play during the reception? It comes down to two main points.

We do our homework. We ask couples about their taste in music, likes, dislikes and must play requests. We use that information to take stock of what we think will work best for that couple's reception. For example, at a recent wedding the groom and his family were from Kenya. Mike has a great selection of Kenyan music from his travels to Africa. We incorporated some of that music into the reception. We do not recycle the same play list for every wedding. We know each couple is different and we reflect their taste into what we play.
We read the crowd. Sometimes we have to modify our plans on the fly. This is where our experience as club DJs comes into play. If a party seems reluctant to dance we will try something different. We know which songs work to get people out of their seats and once we get them on the dance floor we keep them there by finding songs that keep the momentum going.

Why we still play vinyl

2009-08-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

While most DJs have stopped using vinyl records all together, we continue to bring crates of records and turntables to the events we DJ. You might ask, why?

Records sound great. Digital music can sound flat. You might not notice the difference at home, but over a large PA system at high levels there is a noticeable difference in the sound quality.

There is less that can go wrong with vinyl. If you have ever used a computer you know it can lock up or shut down for no reason. We take every precaution to reduce risk at a wedding or special event. We do use a computer to play music we do not have on vinyl, but if the computer freezes up we can throw on a record in a few seconds. (We always bring back up hard drives too.) The last thing you want at your wedding is silence for a few minutes while a computer reboots.

Heck, I'll say it, they look better. The aesthetics of a wedding are important. That is why couples spend days deliberating over table settings. The DJ set-up is hard to hide, but it looks a lot nicer with turntables and records. We get compliments from photographers at weddings all the time.

NERD CORNER (Best mixer ever)

2009-08-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

OMG!

I just got this mixer: Rane Empath.

A mixer is possibly the most important part of our system.

It makes everything sound 10X better. Crisp and precise. At high volumes it never sounds loud. Just good rich bass and enough mids and highs to hear the words. Great feel.

RECORDS ARE BACK!

2009-08-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

All the kids are diggin'...

Jazz Mix--Perfect for Wedding Cocktail Hour and/or Dinner

2009-08-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

One long track about 50 minutes. Ripped from original

mono copies from the great Prestige jazz label.

What we are not.

2009-08-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

These guys are probably very good at what they do. Very professional and very experienced. We do not hate. We are also professional and experienced, but we are bringing a different style to wedding DJs. The kind of DJ you see at your favorite club or lounge.

Something Different

2009-08-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

Three years ago Frank, Mike and I decided to launch DJs For Lovers because the kind of wedding DJs we wanted to hear were few and far between. With over 35 years of club and party DJ experience between us, we knew how to make people dance. While attending friends weddings we couldn't figure out why so many DJs resorted to gimmicks and played out songs to get people on the dance floor. In fact, at most weddings we heard the same play list with YMCA, the Electric Slide, the Macarana ect...

We knew there were couples out there that wanted something else. Over the past three years we have been fortunate to work with an incredible range of couples. All of them had their own tastes in music and insights into what their guests would like. We treat each wedding as its own event and read the dance floor, rather than using pre-set play lists.

This has been our philosophy since the beginning. This blog will be an extension of that philosophy. We will share insights into what kind of music works at weddings, post exclusive mixes and provide other general wedding tips.

We hope you enjoy.

Alex