DJ Dirk Introduction

Well, it all started in 1984 while I was listening to the music at our highschool Sadie Hawkins Dance. Man, the DJ SUCKED!!!! I don't mean just a little, but this guy was probably the worst DJ I've ever heard in my life. I hate to refer to him as a DJ.... So instead of calling him that, let me just call him "The world's worst Player of Music". While all the other kids were complaining about the songs he was playing; I was making a list of all the great songs that we wanted to hear. It was then at this point that I decided that I could at least do as horrible of a job at playing songs as this guy. Being inspired by seeing the worst; I decided to be the best, or at least be pretty good. I started by checking out the local dance clubs in Seattle(Skoochies, Neighbors, Belltown, the Vogue) all great places for current music and terrific guys spinnin' the tunes. I started working at an underage nightclub for the guy that I thought sucked so much. I worked there spinning 12" mixes of New Order and Depeche Mode. Groups like Wham and The Cure were all the rage. After I left that club I got hooked up with an AM radio station doing their mobile shows for them including Karaoke. Shortly after doing this Karaoke gig; I partnered up with Mitch DeBard doing the show. Mitch and I have very similar senses of humor and are terrific on the mic. We are still working together doing show to this day almost 18 years later. After ten very interesting and entertaining years at the A&C; both Mitch and I moved on. I started working locally at J.A.'s in PO. From there I gigged up at The Emerald Queen, Drakes and The Loft in T-Town. While working for The Loft I was approached by the program director of a Seattle Radio station 95.7 The Beat. The station played 70's - 90's dance music. They were looking for someone to mix their Friday Night Oldskool Dance Party. The show consisted of the host, DK Erickson and myself. We aired from 5-midnight every Friday. It truly was a great experience working in the studio as well as having an opportunity to work with Sister Sledge and the Dazz Band @ Seattle's EMP. The show ran for quite some time before the company was bought out by Chear Channel. When this happened most of the staff was let go and they changed the music format as well. Bummer. It didn't take very long and I was spinning tunes again in the club scene. I now work for a club called The Horse and Cow (horseandcow.com) Wednesday thru Saturday night I play a huge variety of music constantly mixed form 9-2 weeknights and 9-4 on the weekends. The club is one of the most popular ones around and has a great group of people that attend regularly. I try to Mash-Up songs laying a AC/DC beat down while layering over it an acapella of Missy Elliot or something like that. Mixing like that keeps everyone interested and constantly dancing regardless of their age. Who knows how much longer I'll keep this gig up, there's even talk of my current place of employment sending me over to Guam to their new bar over there they just opened. So I might be over there for a little bit too. The greatest thing about Life is it's full of POSSIBILITES. Don't forget it! - Dirk

What's up, Dirk!! Thanks for registering and sharing a little bit about yourself with us. I like the mashups you have on your page, too. You're right....that style keeps everyone into the flow. Plus, it's not the same old stuff you hear day in and day out on the radio.

Keep us posted on the Guam gig, too!! Congrats.

look forward to getting to know you Dirk

good intro mayn & welcome. its crazy how u were 'inspired by the worst' but it worked. bad music selection is also part of how i got into mixing too.

It's funny...being DJ's, we are all probably critical of other local DJ's. Once I got into mixing and moved up here to this Godforsaken place, I would listen to other DJ's TRY to mix, but they couldn't. They would take a club set with good music and destroy it by trying to mix. They'd kill the dancefloor and the energy. You just can't mix Lose Control into Lean Back (unless you really know what you're doing...which I don't)!! It's best to let one (almost) end & then start the other...that would just work better. Make an announcement or something at the change.

OK...I'm dome babbling!!