Send us a text

Welcome to Season 4 of Beyond the DJ Booth ,where the weddings are wild, the carbs are canceled, and we’re just trying to survive both.

This week, we open with a musical quiz no one asked for:
Is “You’re the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly” a real song title?
(Somehow, yes. Thanks, Conway Twitty.)

It spirals from there into a hall-of-fame list of song names that make you question how anything gets past quality control in the music industry.

Then, things heat up as Joe recounts DJ'ing a wedding that was half-Persian, half-American... and 100% confusing at least rhythmically.

He's trying to mix 6/8 into 4/4 while keeping the aunties dancing and the groom’s cousin from hijacking the mic. Spoiler: He mostly succeeds.

Joe also opens up about his month-long battle with sugar, after a doctor told him he was one glucose molecule away from becoming a donut. He drops 12 pounds, avoids bread, and somehow DJed through it all with only minor rage blackouts.

Also in this episode:

• The real price of bad weather and venue flips (and why your gear deserves hazard pay)
• How to respectfully say “I have no idea what this song is, but I’ll play it” at cultural events
• And the surprising overlap between Middle Eastern percussion and Joe’s blood pressure

So grab your noise-canceling earbuds, your ketone strips, and your cultural humility.

Season 4 is here and it’s already sweating through its tux jacket.

Subscribe now and never miss an episode.

Support the show

RESOURCES & LINKS

Our website. Please leave a review! - https://www.beyondthedjbooth.com/
To book Joe Bunn: https://bunndjcompany.com/
To book Brian B: https://djbrianbofficial.com/
Joe’s Gear Finds on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/djjoebunn
Brian’s Gear Finds on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/djbrianbofficial
DJ Event Planner free demo: https://www.djeventplanner.com/signup.php
Brian B's Coaching Options: Https://www.thdjscreativeedge.com

Send us a text

What happens when your DJ equipment completely fails during the peak of a wedding reception? Brian i takes us through his heart-stopping experience when his laptop froze mid-set, forcing him to create what we're now calling the "Oh S*** Playlist" - a collection of carefully selected tracks designed to keep the dance floor moving during technical emergencies.

The perfect emergency song needs specific qualities: a natural cold ending or smooth fadeout, universal appeal to maintain energy, and enough length to buy precious troubleshooting time or one that has an immediately recognizable hook to start. Brian reveals how songs like Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me," The Killers' "Mr. Brightside," and The B-52's "Love Shack" saved his performance when mixing wasn't possible. Most remarkably, the wedding couple never realized anything went wrong - the ultimate testament to professional crisis management.

Beyond music emergencies, we explore practical tools every DJ should carry, including a clever pill case system for essential medications that might be needed during long events. At just $9 for a set of three, this simple addition to your DJ bag could save you when unexpected health issues arise on the job.

We also dive into marketing strategies for DJs at different career stages, discussing the relative value of platforms like WeddingWire, Zola, The Knot versus traditional referrals. While established DJs like ourselves now rely primarily on referrals after years of building relationships, newer professionals might need to invest more heavily in paid advertising to jumpstart their business.

Comment "ohshit" on our social media posts to receive our curated Spotify emergency playlist that might save your next gig when technology inevitably betrays you. Because the best DJs aren't those who never face equipment failures - they're the ones who handle those failures so smoothly that no one ever knows they occurred.

Support the show

RESOURCES & LINKS

Our website. Please leave a review! - https://www.beyondthedjbooth.com/
To book Joe Bunn: https://bunndjcompany.com/
To book Brian B: https://djbrianbofficial.com/
Joe’s Gear Finds on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/djjoebunn
Brian’s Gear Finds on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/djbrianbofficial
DJ Event Planner free demo: https://www.djeventplanner.com/signup.php
Brian B's Coaching Options: Https://www.thdjscreativeedge.com

Send us a text

Would you take a celebrity wedding over your cousin’s…or DJ a full-pay gig at Chuck E. Cheese?

This episode kicks off with real DJ dilemmas that blend humor, horror, and hard truths about reputation, branding, and where we draw the line in our careers.

Then we flip the script and dive into something every DJ needs to master but few talk about:
musical transitions.

Those 30–50 second instrumental tracks can make or break the moments between moments — like corporate walk-ups, wedding toasts, or emotional intros. We share our curated list of go-to tracks and explain:

• Why you don’t want these songs in your dance set
• What makes a great transition song (and when to use it)
• How subtle musical cues elevate the entire event experience

Finally, we tackle the dreaded sentence:

We walk through strategies to warm up the room, change the vibe, and create movement — even with the toughest crowds.

Want our full walk-up track guide?
Comment “walk up” on Instagram or YouTube on Joe's Instagram reel and we’ll send you our exclusive PDF.

Sponsored by DJ Event Planner and ESSTART.

Support the show

RESOURCES & LINKS

Our website. Please leave a review! - https://www.beyondthedjbooth.com/
To book Joe Bunn: https://bunndjcompany.com/
To book Brian B: https://djbrianbofficial.com/
Joe’s Gear Finds on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/djjoebunn
Brian’s Gear Finds on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/djbrianbofficial
DJ Event Planner free demo: https://www.djeventplanner.com/signup.php
Brian B's Coaching Options: Https://www.thdjscreativeedge.com