Hello to everyone! This is the type of blog entry that I typically do not like to do. However, given the magnitude of the event, as well as the success of the event, I will expand upon what I did.
Since October 4th, 2019 I have been asked FAR too many times to count:
-What kind of list did you use?
-How did you know what to play?
-What songs did you play?
What was October 4th, 2019? Was it “just” another JAY’S JAMS Party? The answer quite simply is no. It was THE Biggest Party in Milan – BAR NONE –
The overall success of the party was a conglomeration of people coming together. Toby Carver and Bob Cooper deserve just as much of the credit as I do. I cannot accept that I had anything more to do with the party. And to close with this, the party’s success has been overwhelmingly documented and the entire town is already looking forward to the next installment.
The rest of this post has solely with what I did to prepare.
I spoke to Bob Cooper back in February. Bob and Toby had done the event for 4 years and they were looking to take it to the next level. And that is where I came in.
I have done this Professionally (key word – Professionally) since December of 1980. Even my early gigs were successful as if you know anything about me, failure is not an option. Having done 1257 weddings myself, I know that preparation is key. Once you get to an event you, as a Professional, you should have done so much preparation that the night should go off seamlessly.
So how do I prepare and how much time do I put in? As I have documented previously, I put in at the very least 40 hours before a wedding. This does not include the wedding and/or the reception, this is ALL before we get to the big day. My hometown of Milan has NEVER had a gathering or party such as this one and it was my goal to leave the town-a-talkin’!
Once the Facebook page was up (next year it will expand to a website as well for those who are not on Facebook), I could see daily who was or wasn’t coming. In all seriousness, I looked at this several times per day. In the beginning, I updated the page every 2-3 weeks just to keep the event in people’s minds. As we hit August 1st (2 months out) I updated weekly. The updates were long and were cumbersome to some people, but it had to be done. 1 month out the frequency was turned up and 1 week out the updates became daily.
The last month alone, I fielded over 1100 texts, calls, Facebook messages, posts, and e-mails. I made sure to answer each and every one of them just as though it was “me” that was asking the question and how “I” would want to be handled. This event had grown into a monster and yet it needed to be handled delicately because remember, this was the first “big” one.
Logistically, I was thinking how on earth was I going to get my BIG JBL rig there. I knew that I was going to have to bring the “Big Rig” and I don’t mean an 18-Wheeler! But to get that set up from 28117 to 48160 I just might need an 18-Wheeler! Back to the drawing board I went.
When I think back to the days of my brother Scott and I doing mobile DJ events, the amount of gear that we transported was ridiculous. Hell, the many clubs that I have performed at, I would bring 3-4 crates of my own vinyl to shows. A new company to the USA is Turbosound. Turbosound is from the UK and they have been around for ages. Many companies are gravitating towards the “Mini Line Array” systems and Turbosound is one of them. The footprint of the set up in small, but many of my professional sound engineering counterparts, simply RAVE about these things. I pulled the trigger and purchased a complete system to bring to this party (Now this is a funny story within itself – I will leave that out for now).
My amazing wife Kim needed to come to Michigan in September. Yes, she could have flown, but this was a chance for me to see the venue once again. It had been 13 years since I had played at the Legion, and I was still nervous about how much rig I had decided to bring. Thus, Kim and I drove from 28117 to 48463. I met Toby and Bob at the American Legion for a mini round table discussion about how everything else was shaping up. But before our meeting, I measured the room, top to bottom, front to back, and I brought my sound analyzing equipment.
I was surprised. My “little” system was going to do BIG things in that room. Because I understand sound (as the majority of DJ’s do not), I was also going to bring 2 subwoofers as well. I was very happy with the sound 1 month out.
One month out we had 143 people on the Facebook page as coming. I knew this number was actually over 200 as the number of folks who had contacted me directly that were not on Facebook, was extensive. The people that had responded were between the Class of 1977 and the Class of 2001. That alone is a 24 years span. Music was NOT going to be easy.
As the event got closer, there were a few early 70’s classes that had shown interest as well as the Class of 2014 contacted me as they ~may~ have their 5 years reunion at the Tailgate & After Party. Now I had to bridge 40+ years. Daily (and I do mean daily) I was drawing on my experience and thinking of songs that I had used in the past.
I do not use a play list, I refuse as they simply do not work. If you are not professional enough to read the crowd and play to the crowd, then you are a problem. Back in 1985 I began to use a “Do Not Play List”. I gave this to whomever was hiring me, and this would help me MORE than a play list. My do not play list for this event was taking shape as dozens of people were contacting me about language and edited content. I would oblige as much as I could early on, but as the lights go down and the music comes up, all bets are off. Incidentally, the last song of the night was a HIT! What was it you ask? Buckcherry’s “Crazy Bitch”.
So how did I prepare:
- 8 months of time
- A brand-new sound system
- Hundreds of updates on the Facebook page
- An extra trip to Michigan
- I stopped counting at 360 HOURS of documented prep time
- E-mails; Calls; and messages that cannot be measured
AND IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!!!
As I close, and remember this is from my perspective, I would like to Thank:
- Bob Cooper – you have always been an inspiration to me. It was a pleasure.
- Toby Carver – you took a leap when you allowed me in. Thank You IMMENSELY!
- Rose Sanch – For standing by Toby and for ALL of your hard work
- The Carver Family – your help the day of was out of this world!
- And most of all – to my wife Kim! I know that this DJ thing ain’t your bag and in your own way, you support me. Without you, this epic event could not have happened!
To those who have asked about the music – the complete list is below. My software time stamps, key stamps, and BPM stamps. Thus, I had to clean it up a tad and then convert it into a .wpd format. But below you can see it.
What does next year bring? That is a GREAT question. We had +/-400 people in attendance this year. I am not sure how much “bigger” it can be as it pertains to sheer numbers, but it can be “better”. As soon as a date can be set for next year’s Homecoming, a date will be announced. We will again have a Facebook page but I will add a Website too. LOTS and LOTS more to think about as this one is STILL being talked about.
Until Then…….
Thanks,
~Jay~
SONGS USED TO SOUND CHECK
12:28
Suzanne Vega – Tom’s Diner (Remix)
The Cars – Moving in Stereo
Usher – Yeah!
Los Chicos – Macarena
Cheap Trick – Surrender (Live)
***Given the venue, these songs were chosen so various characteristics of the room could be measured.
MILAN TAILGATE and AFTER PARTY
4:00pm (Actual start 3:59pm)
Red Rider – Lunatic Fringe
Grand Funk Railroad – I’m Your Captain/Closer to Home
Europe – The Final Countdown
Fleetwood Mac – Little Lies
The Hollies – Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress
Lynyrd Skynyrd – What’s Your Name?
The Guess Who – No Time
The Babys – Midnight Rendezvous
Jefferson Airplane – Somebody to Love
Cheap Trick – Surrender (Live)
Elton John – Bennie and the Jets
The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again
Bryan Adams – Summer of ’69
3 Doors Down – Kryptonite
5:00pm
.38 Special – Caught Up in You
Lynyrd Skynyrd – What’s Your Name?
Pat Benatar – Hit Me With Your Best Shot
The Police – King of Pain
Head East – Never Been Any Reason
Def Leppard – Photograph
John Parr – Naughty Naughty
America – You Can Do Magic
Aldo Nova – Fantasy
Eddie Money – Baby Hold On To Me
Billy Squier – In the Dark
The Rolling Stones – Miss You
Blondie – Heart of Glass
ABBA – Take a Chance on Me
Alice in Chains – Man in the Box
6:00pm
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Night Moves
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Record Company – Life To Fix
Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A.
John Mellencamp – Hurts So Good
Nirvana – Come as You Are
Foreigner – Hot Blooded
Santana – All I Ever Wanted
Motley Crue – Smokin’ In The Boy’s Room
Metallica – Turn the Page
AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Poison – Nothin’ but a Good Time
ZZ Top – Cheap Sunglasses
Kiss – Detroit Rock City
Zac Brown Band – Chicken Fried
7:00
Queen – Fat Bottomed Girls
John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band – On The Dark Side
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels – Devil With a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly
Jet – Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Maroon 5 – Makes Me Wonder
The Cars – My Best Friend’s Girl
Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine
Steve Miller Band – Rock ‘N Me
The Doobie Brothers – China Grove
Billy Squier – The Stroke
Loverboy – Working for the Weekend
The Knack – My Sharona
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Hollywood Nights
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Especially in Michigan
Alanis Morissette – You Oughta Know
Cheap Trick – I Want You To Want Me (Live)
8:00pm
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
The Monkees – I’m a Believer
Poison – Talk Dirty to Me
Jim Croce – Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Iggy Pop – Lust For Life
John Mellencamp – Jack and Diane
Garth Brooks – Friends in Low Places
Dexys Midnight Runners – Come on Eileen
The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go
Corey Hart – Sunglasses at Night
ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man
The Outfield – Your Love
The Romantics – Talking in Your Sleep
The Police – Roxanne
Sammy Hagar – I Can’t Drive 55
Ozzy Osbourne – Crazy Train
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – I Hate Myself For Loving You
Steve Miller Band – Abracadabra
9:00pm
INXS – New Sensation
AC/DC – Highway to Hell
Kiss – Rock and Roll All Nite
Twisted Sister – We’re Not Gonna Take It
Modern English – I Melt With You
Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline
Toby Keith – Red Solo Cup
Jay’s Jams Edit (Hard Rock Sofa-Here We Go beat mixed to Fat Boy Slim-Champion Sound beat mixed to The Party Squad vs Afrojack- A Msterdamn)
First Dance Song
9:33pm
Donna Summer – Bad Girls
Justin Timberlake – SexyBack
Lipps Inc. – Funkytown
Prince – Erotic City
Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines (FT. T.I. & Pharrell)
Madonna – Music
Dynamic Three/Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three – The Roof Is on Fire
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
Stevie Wonder – My Eyes Don’t Cry
10:00pm
Village People – Y.M.C.A.
Run-D.M.C. – It’s Tricky
Nelly – Hot in Herre
Usher – Yeah!
Will Smith – Miami
The Commodores – Brick House
Backstreet Boys – Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) [Extended Version]
Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music
The Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight
KC & the Sunshine Band – (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty
Grease Megamix – Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta
Kenny Loggins – Footloose
Kid Rock – All Summer Long
Los Chicos – Macarena
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Old Time Rock & Roll
The B-52’s – Love Shack
11:00pm
Billy Idol – Mony Mony
Quad City DJ’s – C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train)
Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Madonna – 12″ Version
Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby
Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
C+C Music Factory/Freedom Williams – Gonna Make You Sweat
Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up
Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back
Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
Lmfao – Sexy And I Know It
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock – It Takes Two
- Dash – Wop (Official Version)
Casper Cha-Cha Slide [Live Platinum Band]
Cupid – Cupid Shuffle (This One!)
ABBA – Dancing Queen
Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive
Spice Girls – Wannabe
12:00am Midnight
Beastie Boys – Fight for Your Right
Brooks & Dunn – Boot Scootin’ Boogie
Rednex – Cotton Eyed Joe
Lloyd Williams – Shout
The Sugarhill Gang – Jump On It
Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop The Feeling!
Kool & the Gang – Celebration
Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines (FT. T.I. & Pharrell)
Technotronic – Pump up the Jam
Earth, Wind & Fire – Let’s Groove
Pitbull – Don’t Stop The Party
Salt-N-Pepa – Push It
Buckcherry – Crazy Bitch
12:47am – End
